Backdoor 4 Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, with the long-range look at what’s coming down the line for Backdoor 4. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, so let’s break it down.

We’re kicking off the forecast period this Friday, September 11th, and straight away we’ve got something to work with. The swell’s rolling in from the south at around 6 ft, with a solid 10-second period, pushing a moderate wave energy of about 707. The wind’s a light cross-offshore out of the SSW at 6 mph, keeping things clean. Water temp is sitting at 65°, which is pretty much where it should be for this time of year, so no surprises there. This is looking like a solid session for an intermediate surfer.

Friday afternoon sees the swell drop a touch to 5 ft, but it stays clean with a southerly cross-off breeze. Into Saturday morning, September 12th, this is where it gets really interesting. The swell drops to 4 ft, but the period stretches out to a long 12 seconds, and the wind goes *glass* – true offshore calm. The energy is still moderate at 702, and the condition notes say it’s glassy. That’s your best window of the near-term, a real standout for clean, lined-up waves.

Saturday afternoon, the wind swings to a cross-on from the ENE at 12 mph, and things get choppy, so the quality drops right off. From there, we hit a dry spell. Sunday the 13th through until Tuesday the 15th is a write-off – small, weak swell, poor winds, and generally ordinary conditions. It’s a few days where you’re better off doing something else.

Now, hold on to your board, because Wednesday the 16th of September is a beast, but it comes with a massive caveat. We’ve got a south swell pumping at 12 ft in the morning, dropping to 10 ft by the afternoon, with a strong to very strong wave energy reading of 2236. The wind is a fresh 22 mph offshore from the south. It’s going to be big, powerful, and clean. But – and this is a big ‘but’ – at that size, this reef break is for experts only. If you’re not in that league, sit this one out. For the big wave chargers, this is the real deal.

Thursday the 17th, the swell backs down to a much friendlier 6 ft, winds stay light offshore, and the energy is a solid 849. That’s another excellent day, much more manageable for the average good surfer.

After that, the outlook goes quiet again. From Friday the 18th all the way through to the end of the forecast on Saturday the 26th, it’s mostly small, weak, and plagued by onshore or cross-shore winds. There’s a fleeting moment on the 24th of September morning with some clean 5 ft south swell, but the window is short and the following wind ruins it. Overall, the second week is a snooze fest for Backdoor 4.

So, to sum it up: your absolute standouts are Saturday morning the 12th for clean, classic lines, and Wednesday the 16th for the big-wave crew. Everything in between is either on the smaller side or just not worth paddling out for.

Rusty.

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