
Surf Forecasts:
Backdoor 4 surf forecast from 11 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 16 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 7s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 10s period, S swell with 3,230 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 11 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Backdoor 4 this week:
The surf forecast for Backdoor 4 over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 11) at 4PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 14s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Backdoor 4 in the next 16 days are 4.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4PM (Fri 11th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Wed 16th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Backdoor 4 over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
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.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat morning, fresh winds from the NE by Sun afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 23°C on Mon morning, min 9°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the W on Mon night, strong winds from the SSW by Wed morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 11 | S 10 | S 12 | NE 5 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | S 7 | S 9 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
711 | 489 | 386 | 425 | 307 | 198 | 161 | 181 | 136 | 132 | 138 | 152 | 39 | 17 | 846 | 2033 | 3230 | 2639 | 1509 | 1010 | 381 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:14PM1.59m | 8:44AM1.46m | 8:54PM1.50m | 9:21AM1.49m | 9:34PM1.38m | 9:57AM1.49m | 10:13PM1.25m | 10:34AM1.46m | 10:54PM1.12m | 11:13AM1.40m | 11:39PM1.01m | 11:59AM1.34m | 00:34AM0.92m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:01PM0.17m | 2:35AM0.06m | 2:47PM0.17m | 3:07AM0.11m | 3:31PM0.19m | 3:39AM0.19m | 4:15PM0.24m | 4:10AM0.28m | 5:01PM0.31m | 4:42AM0.37m | 5:51PM0.39m | 5:18AM0.46m | 6:50PM0.46m | ||||||||
5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | |
— | 5:42 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | 4 | 2 | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 23 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
Feels °C | 13 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 15 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 11 | S 10 | S 12 | S 11 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 12 | ENE 13 | E 13 | S 18 | S 17 | S 9 |
711 | 489 | 386 | 425 | 307 | 198 | 161 | 181 | 136 | 132 | 112 | 98 | 39 | 17 | 6 | 6 | 16 | 3 | 6 | 24 | 381 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 14 | S 19 | S 19 | S 18 | S 20 | ENE 4 | S 15 | ENE 13 | ENE 6 | ENE 12 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | E 14 | E 15 | — | — | E 13 | E 13 | ESE 8 |
2 | 14 | 27 | 186 | 156 | 198 | 12 | 41 | 17 | 29 | 15 | 49 | 29 | 15 | 15 | 4 | — | — | 3 | 3 | 123 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 15 | E 10 | E 13 | ENE 14 | ENE 14 | ENE 13 | S 17 | ENE 13 | S 18 | ENE 13 | — | E 12 | NE 13 | E 13 | — | — | — | — | — | NE 13 | E 13 |
4 | 2 | 14 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 53 | 17 | 6 | 17 | — | 12 | 6 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | NE 4 | NE 4 | ENE 5 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 5 | NE 6 | — | S 4 | S 7 | S 9 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 21 | 16 | 56 | 116 | 54 | 138 | 152 | — | 10 | 846 | 2033 | 3230 | 2639 | 1509 | 1010 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 390 | 2 | 3 | 552 | 2 | 2 | 37 | 11 | 25 | 168 | 215 | 780 | 787 | 248 | 168 | 169 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Newcastle | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Backdoor 4 Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Backdoor 4 provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Backdoor 4 can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Backdoor 4 surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Backdoor 4) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Backdoor 4 may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Backdoor 4 is 14 km (9 miles) from the city of Catherine Hill Bay. If you plan a holiday in Newcastle, look for hotels and other accommodation in Catherine Hill Bay. Catherine Hill Bay has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










