Surf Forecasts:
Backdoor 4 surf forecast from 15 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 22 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 7s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 23 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, S swell with 1,731 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 16 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 7s 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 (Aug 16) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 17s. Another secondary swell of 0.3m and 10s is also forecast. 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 3.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Sun 16th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 7ft (2.2m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Backdoor 4 over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here with the lowdown for this stretch of coast over the next couple of weeks.
First thing to know: the water's runnin' a touch cooler than usual for August, about a degree and a half colder than average. You're looking at about 63°F for that first session, so maybe grab a thicker spring suit.
Alright, the opening act. Saturday the 15th afternoon, we're looking at a fun little window. Swell is 5ft out of the S with an 8-second period – not a world-beater, but the wind is light offshore from the S at 9 mph. That offshore breeze is gonna put a real nice face on those waves. Combined swell energy is moderate at 341, and the call is "good surf". It's a reef break that's very consistent, and you get that east exposure for the swell. This is your go-to for a clean, fun afternoon session. Keep an eye out, though – the crowds say "sometimes", so you might have some company.
Sunday the 16th through Tuesday the 20th is pretty average. We see a mix of cross-offshore and cross-shore winds with heights between 3ft and 5ft, but the quality is dialed back. Periods are short, around 6 to 7 seconds, so it’ll be a bit fat and weak. There’s a real glassy morning on Wednesday the 19th with zero wind, but the swell is tiny at 2ft and from the ESE. It’s surfable, but you’ll be working hard for nothing special. Then from Thursday the 20th through Saturday the 22nd, the wind goes completely wrong – onshore and cross-onshore from the N, NE, and NW – and the energy drops to weak levels (60-109). Honestly, that stretch is a write-off for a proper surf. If the wind holds, it’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session.
Now, here’s where it gets tasty. Sunday the 23rd, we get a pulse of proper groundswell. The morning shows 5ft from the S with a 12-second period, and the wind is a light cross-offshore from the SW at just 6 mph. The combined energy jumps to a very solid 559 – that's a serious push of water. This is the standout of the whole run. That long period (over 11 seconds) will bring some proper lines and energy, but at a reef break, it should handle it beautifully. Expect clean, powerful waves. After that, Monday and Tuesday the 24th-25th see the swell fade and the wind pick up strong from the SW (18-22 mph), so it gets a bit blown out.
Then we hit a major change. From Wednesday the 26th right through to Saturday the 29th, the swell gets absolutely honking. We're talking 8ft on the 26th morning, ramping up to 16ft on the 27th morning, and even hitting 15ft with a 13-second period on the 28th. The combined energy readings are enormous – between 1251 and 12258. That is very, very strong energy. The problem is, it's too big. The forecast notes explicitly say the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. Winds during this time are light to moderate offshore or cross-offshore, which would make it epic elsewhere, but here at Backdoor 4, it's going to be a washing machine. This is expert-only territory, and honestly, it might be completely unsurfable. Don't even think about paddling out.
Finally, the run finishes on Sunday the 30th. The swell drops back to a more manageable 7ft from the SSE with a 10-second period, with light cross-offshore winds and a combined energy of 759. It’s still a bit large but the condition is called "very good surf". It’ll be a big, clean, powerful wave to end the period, but still one for the confident surfer.
So, to wrap it up: your absolute best window for a clean, fun, surfable wave is Sunday morning the 23rd of August. That's the one to circle on the calendar. The following week is either too small, blown out, or way, way too big. Get out there for that Sunday session.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | ||||||||||||||
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 7 | SSE 6 | SE 7 | S 11 | S 10 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 7 | E 7 | NE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
189 | 209 | 163 | 185 | 116 | 88 | 102 | 107 | 85 | 131 | 131 | 226 | 140 | 79 | 86 | 147 | 79 | 80 | 79 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 10:01PM1.55m | 10:39AM1.38m | 10:43PM1.39m | 11:21AM1.37m | 11:25PM1.23m | 12:04PM1.35m | 00:11AM1.08m | 12:52PM1.32m | 1:05AM0.96m | 1:49PM1.28m | 2:17AM0.88m | 2:54PM1.27m | 3:41AM0.86m | ||||||
Low Tide | 4:26AM0.10m | 4:39PM0.29m | 5:00AM0.19m | 5:30PM0.36m | 5:34AM0.29m | 6:25PM0.44m | 6:11AM0.39m | 7:30PM0.50m | 6:53AM0.47m | 8:46PM0.53m | 7:49AM0.53m | 10:05PM0.51m | |||||||
— | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | |
mm | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 15 |
Feels °C | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 17 | S 17 | SE 7 | S 11 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | S 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 6 | ESE 11 | ESE 7 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 7 | E 10 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | S 11 | ENE 7 |
93 | 147 | 163 | 185 | 108 | 88 | 35 | 107 | 85 | 73 | 131 | 226 | 140 | 79 | 2 | 98 | 79 | 2 | 79 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 10 | S 12 | S 12 | S 17 | S 10 | S 9 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | ESE 10 | S 8 | S 8 | E 11 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | — | S 10 |
19 | 26 | 69 | 53 | 116 | 80 | 44 | 85 | 56 | 47 | 90 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | 8 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | ENE 10 | SSW 9 | SSE 6 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SE 10 | E 9 | ESE 13 | E 10 | S 9 | S 15 | — | — | S 13 | S 13 | — | — | SE 7 |
— | 20 | 25 | 8 | 63 | 53 | 16 | 6 | 70 | 8 | 15 | 4 | — | — | 3 | 3 | — | — | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | SSE 6 | — | ESE 7 | — | — | ESE 7 | — | — | ESE 7 | — | — | — | — | E 7 | NE 6 | NW 3 | ENE 6 | NNW 2 |
189 | 209 | — | 118 | — | — | 102 | — | — | 131 | — | — | — | — | 86 | 147 | 2 | 80 | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 168 | 141 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 117 | 2 | 2 | 91 | 3 | 2 | 11 |
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.











