Backdoor 4 Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's take a look at what's coming down the line for Backdoor 4.

This reef setup looks at a bit of a mixed bag ahead. We've got some small windows of clean surf, but there’s also a period of huge, overpowering waves that’s really just for the experienced crew. The next few days are a slow build-up, right now the ocean is giving us very little. Conditions start off pretty ordinary with a 3 ft ENE swell (125 energy) and a cross-wind, making it a poor call. Things finally start to get going on the morning of Friday the 24th, but it's still pretty marginal with the wind.

The real standout session looks to be Friday afternoon, July 24. The swell jumps to 6 ft from the south with a period of 10 seconds, and combined with moderate wave energy (640), the wind swings light and offshore. This is going to be clean and fun. It's a consistent spot, so expect some company in the water, but for that afternoon slot, it’s the pick of the week.

The following days, Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th, hold similar 5 to 6 ft south swells. Sunday morning, July 26, in particular looks like a very good option with an 11-second groundswell and clean conditions. That swell (892 energy) will have more push to it. Just a heads-up, long period groundswell like that can make a reef break like this stand up nicely, but it might also make the paddle-out a bit easier with longer lulls.

Now, things get big. From July 30 through to August 5, we're seeing a massive run of surf, with wave heights over 8 ft and up to 15 ft on July 30. The combined swell energy is enormous (8957). The wind is favorable and the faces will be clean, but this is expert territory only. The wave size will shut the place down for the average punter; it's honestly more interesting for the kite crew than paddle surfing during that stretch.

We then get a drop back down to a much more manageable size. Sunday morning, August 2, offers up another absolute gem, with a 5 ft SE groundswell (578 energy) and glassy conditions. This will be clean and the session will be a welcome return to form. The surf continues to be fun but fades through Monday, August 3.

From there, the forecast gets sketchy. We've got a few days of poor conditions, until a bigger, but very messy swell shows up at the start of August. The end of the forecast window around August 7 finishes on a calm, glassy note with a 5.5 ft swell (326 energy) that should offer up some manageable final waves.

There are some gaps in the quality here, especially from the start of the second week, but it’s a classic spot that tends to fire when the conditions line up.

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