Back Strands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. Honestly, this is a pretty bleak run for Back Strands. A solid 16-day window, but there’s no standout, no sweet spot, and barely a window that’s worth paddling out. The vibe is more about waiting than scoring.

Right now, from Monday the 31st through to the end of the first week, the conditions are dominated by messy, choppy, and often blown-out surf. The water temperature is 62°, which is a touch warmer than average for this time of year, so at least it’s not freezing.

The first day, Monday the 31st, has a moderate 5ft swell from the WNW, but the onshore wind is a stiff 16 mph, making it poor. The combined swell energy is moderate at 220. It’s a no-go. Tuesday the 1st stays poor with a cross-shore wind and weak 3ft to 4ft swell. Wednesday the 2nd morning sees a brief window of offshore wind from the SE, but the swell is tiny at 2ft with a short period of 8 seconds and weak energy (57). It’s not worth the hype.

The real low point hits Friday the 4th, when a big 13ft WNW swell rolls in, but with a near gale cross-onshore wind at 31 mph, it’s totally blown out – only for experts, and even then, it’s just messy. The combined energy is a massive 5917, but it’s useless for clean surfing. That same pattern continues into Saturday the 5th morning with a 6ft swell and onshore wind. Saturday afternoon sees a light 5ft swell and a light cross-shore wind, but it’s still marginal.

The quality improves slightly on Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th, with clean cross-offshore winds, but the swell drops to 3ft with a 9-second period, and the energy is low (128). It’s surfable for a longboard or a small-wave board, but nothing special.

From Tuesday the 8th through to the end of the second week, it’s a mixed bag of marginal conditions. The highlight is perhaps Monday the 14th, when a long-period groundswell of 8ft from the west with a 15-second period rolls in. The combined energy is strong at 2424. But the wind is cross-onshore at 9 mph, so it’s fairly choppy. This is a promising swell – long period means better shape and energy, but it’s more suited to a point or reef. At Back Strands, a reef break, it could work well, but the wind is the issue. Tuesday the 15th sees a similar 10ft swell with a 12-second period, but the wind is fresh and cross-shore, making it lumpy. This is only for experts.

Overall, the best on offer is Monday the 14th with that long-period swell, but it’s a borderline call due to the wind. The rest of the 16 days is a long wait. If you’re a patient surfer, keep an eye on that Monday, but don’t expect perfection.

Rusty.

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