Back Strands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for Back Strands.

Right, the forecast is a bit of a mixed bag, to be honest. We're looking at a patchy run of swell, but the wind is going to be the real spoiler for most of the first week or so. The water temp is sitting at 62°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so the shower's not too cold when you get in.

The real standout in the whole 16-day window is shaping up to be a late call. For the next few days, from Sunday the 30th through to early September, the wind is just nasty. We've got a small 1ft to 2ft west swell on Sunday, but the rain and funky wind ruin it. Then from Monday the 31st, we get a pulse of bigger swell, 6ft on Monday morning from the WNW, and it builds right up. But every time that swell gets some size, the wind is a total write-off – cross, cross-on, or just howling. There's a 6ft W swell on Monday the 7th of September, but it's cross-onshore again. The wave energy gets massive mid-week, with a 13ft west swell on Friday the 4th, and the combined energy is a whopping 5056, but it's being thrashed by a strong cross-onshore breeze. That's a messy, dangerous situation that's really only for experts, and even then, the quality is poor. For the kites, that setup might look more interesting than paddling.

Now, if you're looking for the best chance of a clean wave, you have to wait. The absolute highlight is on Saturday the 12th of September. We've got a small but clean 2ft west swell rolling in with a moderate 11-second period and glassy conditions in the afternoon. The combined energy is a modest 83, so it's weak energy, but it's clean and surfable. The morning of that day is also clean with a light offshore breeze. There's also a brief window on the Wednesday afternoon the 2nd of September where a 3ft swell lines up with clean cross-offshore winds, but it's small and the energy is weak at 73. The early morning of Saturday the 5th of September also has a 5ft WNW swell with light cross-on wind, making it only marginal for surf.

So, what's the call? That Saturday the 12th of September is the one to pencil in. It's not going to be epic, but it's the cleanest and most accessible surf in the whole run. Be aware that this spot can get crowded sometimes, so you might have some company. It's a fairly consistent reef break, so the wait for a clean wave should pay off. Everything else before that is a wait-and-see game with the wind, and the big swells are just too blown out.

This is Rusty, signing off.

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