Backdoor 4 Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's get into it. The whole 16-day window is a real mixed bag, mostly a long, flat spell with a short, sweet window of proper, glassy waves right in the middle.

We kick off on the first with a bit of ankle to knee-high S swell at Backdoor 4, but the northerly winds are on it, and the water’s a touch warmer than usual for this time of year. It's messy, and not worth paddling out for. This flat, choppy pattern keeps going. Tuesday the 2nd and Wednesday the 3rd stay small with cross-onshore winds, making for a lumpy ocean. Thursday the 4th and Friday the 5th are no better. There’s a real dry spell here with nothing doing.

Look, don't even think about it until Sunday morning the 6th of September. That morning we finally get a clean-up. The swell bumps up to a consistent 3 ft from the S with a long 12 second period (292 combined energy). The wind is a light SE, giving us clean, cross-off conditions. It’s the first proper window of the whole outlook. It’s not a huge swell, but the quality should be there for an intermediate surfer to have a few fun ones.

Saturday the 13th is a write-off. Sunday the 14th, Monday the 15th, and Tuesday the 16th? Forget it, it's all tiny, windy, and choppy. The whole second week looks grim, with nothing but poor surf conditions.

Now, the real standout, the one you need to mark on your calendar, is Wednesday the 9th of September. This is where it gets interesting, but only if you’re an expert. The morning is absolutely pristine: glassy conditions, a dead calm wind from the WNW. The swell hits 13 ft from the S, with a very long 11 second period and a massive energy reading of 3302. That’s a lot of water moving. The problem? It's likely too big for this spot, and with that long period, a reef break like Backdoor 4 could be closing out pretty straight. This is strictly for the experienced crowd.

The following morning, Thursday the 10th of September, offers a much friendlier option. The morning is glassy again with a light SE breeze and a 5 ft S swell (338 combined energy). The wind and tide will be good, making for some clean, fun waves. This is probably the best bet for the majority of surfers in the entire outlook.

But if you had to pick one true standout, it’s the Thursday the 10th morning session. Clean, glassy, and a manageable swell that will actually let you get a few turns in without getting pounded.

Signing off, Rusty.

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