
Surf Forecasts:
Backdoor 4 surf forecast from 4 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 6 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 10s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, S swell with 2,299 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 6 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 8s 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 Sunday (Sep 06) at 4PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 6s. Another secondary swell of 0.2m and 10s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Backdoor 4 in the next 16 days are 3.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 7s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 06) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4PM (Sun 6th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Sun 6th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Backdoor 4 over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up for Backdoor 4.
First off, that water temp is sitting at 66°F which is about average for this time of year, no surprises there. The pattern for the next couple of weeks is a bit of a slow burner with a few big spikes that are just too much for this spot.
We’ve got a bit of a quiet start. Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th are pretty much a write-off. Tiny, poor surf with messy winds. Not worth paddling out.
Come Monday the 7th, things start to get interesting. The morning is looking glassy with a light south swell at 5ft, period around 8 seconds. The combined energy is moderate at 473. It’s not huge, but with the wind dead flat, it’ll be clean. That’s a solid session for intermediates.
The real standout, and the one to circle on the calendar, is Tuesday the 8th. The morning serves up a 10ft south swell with a 10-second period, and a south-southeast offshore wind. The wave energy is pumping at 1557. But here’s the thing – 10ft is too big for this break. You’d have to be a top-tier expert to even think about it. The afternoon is a bit smaller at 8ft, but still, that’s expert-only territory. The conditions are clean, but the size is the gatekeeper.
Wednesday the 9th brings it back down. The morning has a 5ft south-southeast swell, 9-second period, and clean conditions. The combined energy is 435. That’s a much more manageable size, and the light cross-off wind will keep it tidy. Best bet for the average surfer this week.
Thursday the 10th and Friday the 11th are back to that big, powerful south swell. The 10ft and 7ft swells are just too much for this reef. Clean, but for experts only.
The second week settles down. Saturday the 12th morning is a real gem – 5ft south swell, 11-second period, and glassy conditions. Combined energy is 641. That’s a beautiful, long-period groundswell with clean faces. It’s a great size for intermediates, and the lack of wind will make it a pleasure.
Sunday the 13th morning is also good with a 3ft south swell, very long 12-second period, and glassy conditions. The combined energy is 342. That long period will make it work best on the reef, but it’ll be a bit slow between sets.
After that, the forecast gets a bit messy. Some onshore winds and smaller swells from the 14th to the 15th. Not much to get excited about.
Then, on the 16th (Wednesday), we get another big pulse – 8ft to 10ft south swell with a 13-second period. That’s huge energy, 2542, but again, too big for this spot.
The 17th (Thursday) morning is the last real highlight. A 7ft south swell, 10-second period, with a solid offshore wind. The combined energy is 889. It’s a big, powerful wave, but at 7ft it’s still manageable for strong intermediates, and the wind will keep it clean.
The final days fade out with smaller, onshore wind affected surf. Nothing special.
So, to boil it down: the best on offer is Monday morning the 7th for a glassy, clean session, and the absolute standout for the whole period is Saturday morning the 12th – that 5ft, 11-second groundswell with glassy conditions is the pick of the bunch. The bigger swells are impressive but just too much for Backdoor 4.
Stay stoked.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Warm (max 30°C on Sat afternoon, min 14°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon morning, fresh winds from the S by Mon night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Wed morning, min 12°C on Tue night). Mainly strong winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | |||||||||||||||
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 9 | S 10 | NE 6 | S 8 | S 10 | S 8 | SSE 10 | S 7 | S 10 | SSE 11 | S 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 10 | S 11 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
121 | 58 | 45 | 21 | 135 | 1752 | 368 | 563 | 524 | 1555 | 1689 | 832 | 424 | 326 | 1312 | 1818 | 1608 | 1557 | 1011 | 789 | 633 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | glassy | cross | off | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:40PM1.44m | 3:44AM0.96m | 3:54PM1.49m | 4:59AM1.02m | 5:00PM1.56m | 5:57AM1.12m | 5:57PM1.63m | 6:45AM1.22m | 6:46PM1.66m | 7:28AM1.31m | 7:31PM1.65m | 8:07AM1.40m | 8:14PM1.59m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:46PM0.33m | 9:08AM0.47m | 10:58PM0.24m | 10:24AM0.43m | 11:54PM0.15m | 11:29AM0.35m | 00:41AM0.08m | 12:24PM0.27m | 1:23AM0.04m | 1:14PM0.21m | 2:00AM0.03m | 2:01PM0.17m | 2:35AM0.06m | ||||||||
6:07 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | |
— | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 28 | 30 | 22 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 |
Feels °C | 23 | 26 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 9 | ENE 6 | SSW 6 | NE 6 | S 10 | S 8 | SSE 10 | E 11 | S 10 | SSE 11 | S 10 | SSE 9 | ENE 9 | S 17 | E 16 | S 11 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 |
121 | 58 | 22 | 40 | 6 | 1460 | 368 | 563 | 9 | 1555 | 1689 | 832 | 424 | 8 | 49 | 5 | 1278 | 1557 | 1011 | 789 | 633 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 9 | NE 4 | S 10 | NE 6 | E 10 | ENE 10 | SSE 11 | ENE 10 | NE 8 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | S 16 | E 9 | E 16 | SSE 22 | SSE 23 | S 22 | E 14 | ENE 13 |
17 | 7 | 45 | 21 | 8 | 10 | 97 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 158 | 104 | 37 | 14 | 18 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 5 | E 9 | E 11 | S 10 | S 15 | — | E 10 | NE 8 | — | — | — | — | S 18 | E 17 | E 16 | — | SSE 18 | E 15 | E 15 | S 21 | S 19 |
1 | 15 | 9 | 16 | 17 | — | 8 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 6 | 5 | — | 60 | 4 | 4 | 35 | 28 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 3 | N 3 | NW 3 | W 3 | S 8 | S 10 | — | — | S 7 | — | — | — | NNW 3 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 10 | S 11 | — | — | — | — |
2 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 135 | 1752 | — | — | 524 | — | — | — | 3 | 326 | 1312 | 1818 | 1608 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 11 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 176 | 169 | 52 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 552 | 52 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Newcastle | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.










