Backdoor 4 Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Yo, this is Rusty. Let's talk about what's shaping up at Backdoor 4. This is a reef break, very consistent, and it's an exposed spot that likes swell from the east. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, nothing weird there.

Right now, we're looking at Sunday afternoon, the 30th of August, and it's already looking clean. You've got a 3 ft south swell rolling in with a 9-second period, and the wind is a light cross-off breeze from the ESE at 6 mph. The combined energy of all swells is moderate at 271. It's a solid, clean start.

Monday the 31st, the morning is a bit of a letdown. The swell is 4 ft from the south, but with a cross-on wind from the NE at 3 mph, it's just not clean. The afternoon gets worse with a stronger cross-on from the ENE at 12 mph, dropping the swell to 2 ft and a very long 15-second period, but the energy is still moderate at 288. It's choppy and not worth it.

Tuesday the 1st of September is a write-off. All day, it's onshore wind from the north, 9-12 mph, with a small 3 ft south swell. Poor conditions.

Wednesday the 2nd, the morning is still poor with cross-on wind, but the afternoon is a different story. The wind swings to the WSW at 3 mph, becoming a light cross-off, and the 2 ft south swell with a 10-second period cleans up nicely. The energy is weak at 118, but it's surfable, just very ordinary.

Thursday the 3rd, the morning has a light cross-off from the WSW at 9 mph, keeping the 2 ft swell clean, but the energy is weak at 113. It's still just ordinary. The afternoon, the wind is cross-off from the ESE, but the swell drops to 2 ft and the energy is very weak at 78.

Friday the 4th of September, the morning is a standout. The wind goes glassy, dead calm from the NE at 3 mph, with a clean 3 ft south swell at 11 seconds. The energy is moderate at 265. This is a window of perfection. The afternoon, however, gets blown out by a strong cross-on from the ENE at 16 mph.

The weekend is a mixed bag. Saturday the 5th is a no-go with strong onshore winds. Sunday the 6th, however, is a real highlight. The morning has a clean offshore wind from the south at 6 mph, and a solid 6 ft south swell at 11 seconds. The combined energy is strong at 819. That's a powerful, clean wave for an intermediate, but it's almost too big for beginners. The afternoon drops off with a cross-off wind and a smaller swell.

The next week is quiet. Monday the 7th through Thursday the 10th of September, the surf is small, mostly under 3 ft, with poor or ordinary conditions. There's a two-day gap with nothing worthwhile.

Then, Friday the 11th of September is a monster. The morning brings a 10 ft south swell with a 10-second period, and the combined energy is a massive 1767. However, the wind is a light cross-shore from the east at 3 mph. The problem is that the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it might be a washing machine. The afternoon is still big at 7 ft but marginal.

Saturday the 12th, the swell is still a solid 5 ft, but cross-on wind makes it poor.

The final standout is Sunday the 13th of September. The morning is glassy again, with a clean 3 ft south swell at 11 seconds and a moderate energy of 265. It's a beautiful, clean session to wrap up the run.

So, if you're looking for the best of the best, you've got two true standouts: Friday morning the 4th of September with that glassy, clean 3 ft swell, and Sunday morning the 6th of September with the bigger, cleaner 6 ft groundswell. The Friday is more for everyone, while the Sunday is for the more experienced crew. The 11th of September is a massive, expert-only wave, but it's a gamble if it's too big.

This is Rusty, signing off.

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