Backdoor 4 Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the pipe for Backdoor 4.

For the next few days, it’s pretty grim, no two ways about it. Tuesday starts off with weak, short-period windswell pushing in from the ENE at 4ft, with a period of just 7 seconds. The wind is from the NNW, blowing onshore, making a mess of things. The wave energy is weak (185), so there’s just not much to work with. Honestly, save your energy and do something else.

Wednesday sees the swell drop a little, but by Thursday morning the 27th, things start to look up. The wind swings around to the south, going offshore, with the swell picking up to 5ft. The period is still a bit on the short side (8 seconds), but the wind, combined with the swell jumping up to moderate energy (389), makes it the best option so far. Thursday afternoon holds that 5ft with a slightly longer period of 9 seconds from the south; it’s clean, so you could get some fun ones.

Friday the 28th looks iffy in the morning, but the afternoon improves with a 5ft SSE swell, a period stretching to 11 seconds, and clean conditions. The energy bumps up to 487.

Now, here’s the standout window. Saturday the 29th is the pick of the whole forecast. We’ve got a 5ft south swell, period at 8 seconds – maybe a bit short for some, but the wind is blowing solidly offshore from the south at 15 mph, cleaning it up beautifully. The combined wave energy is strong at 723, and the forecast calls for very good surf conditions. The afternoon keeps that quality with a 5ft SSE swell at a better 10-second period, still offshore. This is the one to circle.

Sunday the 30th starts with a glassy, dead-calm morning. The swell drops back to 3ft from the south, with a period of 9 seconds. It’ll be clean as a whistle and perfect for a longboard or a funboard, though the energy is moderate (275).

From Monday the 31st onwards, the swell direction swings around and it gets messy again. The period on the 31st morning is a very long 19 seconds, which is typical for a groundswell, but the swell is tiny at 2ft and from the south, with a north-northeast cross-onshore breeze. By the afternoon, a stronger northeast wind messes it up completely. The rest of the first week of September is a write-off of poor conditions, strong winds, and small, inconsistent swell. The energy readings drop right off.

We jump ahead to Sunday the 6th of September. There’s a brief spike with a 5ft south swell and moderate energy (406), but the wind is a fresh cross-onshore from the northwest, making it lumpy and poor. Not recommendable.

The final flicker of hope comes on Tuesday the 8th of September, where we see a cleaner 4ft south swell with a long 11-second period, but the wind is light and cross-onshore. The afternoon stays similar. It’s a marginal call at best.

So, to wrap it up: the run starts slow, but Thursday and especially Saturday the 29th are your solid bets. That Saturday is the standout with strong wave energy and clean offshore wind. After that, expect a long gap with little to no quality surf for over a week.

Rusty out.

Read more