Backdoor 4 Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, checking in on what’s cooking for your local stretch. We’ve got a pretty tidy run of waves coming up with a solid mix of conditions, so let’s get into it.

The surf kicks off on Friday, July 31st with a decent pulse of swell from the south pushing through Backdoor 4. We’re looking at a clean 6 ft of south swell, with a moderate offshore breeze from the south that’s going to keep the faces smooth. The water sits at a well-and-truly normal 65°, nothing out of the ordinary for this time of year. The combined energy of all swells is moderate at 668, so there’s a good bit of push behind it. This is easily the standout of the whole outlook – a very consistent reef break that handles an east swell best, but this south groundswell is packing enough punch to make for some proper long, walling waves. Expect it to be a bit busy though, crowds are possible here.

Moving into Saturday, August 1st, we see the swell dropping a touch to 5-5 ft, but the wind shifts to a light cross-offshore from the west-southwest and then east-southeast. It stays clean with moderate energy (456 and 399). Good fun, but nothing that’ll get the heart racing like Friday.

Sunday, August 2nd gets a little trickier. The swell bumps up in period to 12-13 seconds, which is proper long-period groundswell, and the energy jumps right up to 875. But the wind goes onshore from the north in the morning, then turns into a strong cross-onshore from the northeast by the afternoon. That’ll chop it up something shocking. The morning’s a gamble at best. Don’t get too excited.

We then hit a solid dry spell. From Monday, August 3rd right through to late Tuesday, August 11th, it’s pretty bleak. The swell drops way down, with days of tiny waves and mostly onshore or cross-shore winds. The vibe is flat and messy. There’s a brief flicker of hope on Wednesday, August 5th afternoon with a clean 4 ft from the south, and another on Thursday, August 6th morning with 5 ft and glassy conditions – a total calm with zero wind, the water will be like a mirror. Those are worth a paddle if you’re desperate, but the quality isn’t up there with the opener.

After that big gap, the surf tries to find its feet again on Friday, August 14th. We get a clean morning with 4 ft of south swell, light winds, and a moderate 225 energy score. It’s surfable, but it’s a far cry from the 31st.

So, to sum it up: if you want the best waves of the whole 16-day window, you’ve got to be in the water on Friday, July 31st. After that, it’s a lot of waiting, a few so-so days, and a whole lot of flat spells. Keep an eye on that Friday morning session on the 6th for a chance at a glassy ride.

Stay stoked.

Rusty.

Read more