Backdoor 4 Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next stretch. This is a tricky one, to be honest. For the next week or so, we’re going to be staring at a whole lot of nothing special. There’s a real lull in the action, with only small, weak, and messy swells and pretty ordinary wind conditions. It’s one of those periods where you’re better off doing maintenance on your board or just watching the horizon. That dry spell runs from now all the way through to the 26th of August. Then, things start to look a bit more interesting.

Backdoor 4 is the only spot on the radar here, and the first real chance of a wave comes on Thursday the 27th of August. Thursday afternoon, a solid 7 ft swell from the south rolls in, with a moderate energy (647). The period is a middling 9 seconds, so it’ll have some push. What makes this a standout is the wind: a light SSE breeze, cross-offshore, keeping the faces clean. It’s a reef break, very consistent, exposed to the swell, and the direction is side-on to the optimum. The water temperature is 64°, which is about normal for this time of year, so a wetsuit is still the call.

Now, Friday the 28th of August looks like the best of the whole outlook, but there’s a major caveat. We’ve got a 7 ft to 7 ft south swell, strong energy (836 and 851), and clean cross-offshore winds from the WSW and ESE. The problem? That’s too much water for Backdoor 4. It’s going to be walled up, heavy, and only for the experts. If you’ve got the skills and the nerve, it’ll be a proper session, but for most of us, it’s a day to watch from the cliff. The period is still around 9-10 seconds, so it’s not the long, lined-up groundswell that would make it perfect.

So, to sum it up: don’t bother paddling out for the next week and a half. Save your energy for the 27th for a clean, solid day, and if you’re an experienced charger, the 28th could be a real standout, but it’s a beast.

Rusty.

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