Surf Forecasts:
Back Strands surf forecast from 5 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 12 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 11s period, W swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 9 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 10s period, WNW swell with 586 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 12 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 11s period with W swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Back Strands this week:
The surf forecast for Back Strands over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Back Strands in the next 16 days are 1.7m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 09) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 08) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (IST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Wed 12th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Wed 12th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Sun 9th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Back Strands over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Got to be honest with you, the surf chart is looking pretty bleak, with a whole heap of junky, onshore slop and not much size. It’s gonna be a dry spell for a good long while. But as we surfers know, the ocean is always thinking, and there are a few glimmers of hope if you’re willing to be patient.
We got a long stretch of nothing happening, but I see a moment on the morning of the 13th that could be interesting. It’s small, but clean. Then, the main event, is the following morning on the 14th. That’s the standout.
The spot in question is Back Strands. It’s a reef that’s fairly exposed to the swell, so it’s worth keeping an eye on. For that Thursday morning on the 14th, we’re looking at a 4ft swell from the WNW with a period of 9 seconds. The wind is forecast to be almost nothing, glassy, and that is the key. The energy is weak, a reading of about 189, so it won't be powerful, but with that clean surface, it’s going to be your best chance for a proper surf. The water temp is about average for this time of year, but the conditions will be the winner.
Before that, on the afternoon of the 13th, the swell is a bigger 7ft from the W, but the wind is going to be onshore, which will most likely blow it out and make things messy. That’s for the experts only, and even then, it might not be worth the paddle.
So there you have it. A long, frustrating wait, but a little window of clean surf at Back Strands on the morning of the 14th is the one to circle on your calendar.
Rusty, out.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Wed morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Fri afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WNW on Tue night, light winds from the W by Thu afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat morning, min 14°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (light winds from the S on Fri night, fresh winds from the SW by Sun afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | W 6 | W 5 | WNW 7 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 10 | W 10 | W 9 | WNW 8 | W 8 | WNW 8 | NW 9 | NW 9 | WSW 11 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 461 | 262 | 97 | 37 | 22 | 21 | 62 | 399 | 322 | 199 | 230 | 283 | 586 | 432 | 332 | 163 | 63 | 64 | 36 | 39 | 40 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | off | glassy | off |
High Tide | 10:49AM2.80m | 11:06PM3.01m | 11:45AM2.69m | 00:08AM2.80m | 12:58PM2.63m | 1:30AM2.67m | 2:23PM2.69m | 3:01AM2.68m | 3:43PM2.92m | 4:18AM2.84m | 4:48PM3.24m | 5:19AM3.04m | 5:41PM3.57m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:31AM0.58m | 4:39PM0.80m | 5:21AM0.75m | 5:39PM0.97m | 6:27AM0.90m | 7:03PM1.08m | 7:52AM0.97m | 8:42PM1.01m | 9:16AM0.88m | 10:04PM0.77m | 10:22AM0.67m | 11:06PM0.47m | 11:16AM0.43m | 11:58PM0.19m | |||||||
 |  |  |  | |  | | |  |  | | | | | | |  |  | | | | |
 | 5:50 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:27 | — | — | 9:24 | — | — | 9:22 | — | — | 9:21 | — | — | 9:19 | — | — | 9:16 | — | — | 9:15 |
mm | 3 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 5 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 21 | 21 |
Feels °C | 7 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 20 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NNW 9 | W 10 | W 10 | W 5 | WNW 7 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 8 | WNW 8 | NW 9 | NW 9 | WSW 11 |
| kJ | — | — | 8 | 8 | 7 | 21 | 62 | 399 | 322 | 199 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 63 | 64 | 36 | 39 | 40 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 10 | — | — | W 9 | WNW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 8 | W 10 | W 7 | W 7 | NW 8 |
| kJ | — | — | 8 | — | — | 7 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 60 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 17 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 9 | W 9 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 6 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | W 6 | SW 3 | SW 4 | — | S 3 | SSW 3 | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 10 | W 10 | W 9 | WNW 8 | — | — | — | — | SSE 3 |
| kJ | 461 | 262 | 97 | 37 | 22 | 3 | 8 | — | 4 | 4 | 230 | 283 | 586 | 432 | 332 | 163 | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 486 | 721 | 765 | 27 | 281 | 36 | 53 | 135 | 51 | 10 | 145 | 145 | 53 | 10 | 265 | 292 | 81 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Sligo | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Ireland | |||||||||||||||||||||
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Back Strands surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
Information about the Back Strands Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Back Strands provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Back Strands can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Back Strands surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Back Strands) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Back Strands may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Are you planning a holiday in Sligo? If you are looking for accommodation near Back Strands, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Sligo, consider staying in Sligo which is 19 km (12 miles) away. Other places in and around Sligo where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Killybegs which is 21 km (13 miles) away, Enniskillen, Ballina and Letterkenny.
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