Backdoor 4 Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Backdoor 4 over the next couple weeks.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a slow start. The first real window of surf that’s worth paddling out for doesn’t show up until the morning of Sunday, July 19th, but that’s a tricky one. The swell is coming in at 7ft from the east, with a period of 10 seconds, and the combined energy is a serious 1083 – that’s a lot of water moving. Thing is, the forecast says it’s actually too big for this break, so unless you’re a seasoned charger looking for a real handful, I’d give it a miss. The wind is a moderate cross-off, so it won’t be a total mess, but it’s not the call.

Now, *Monday, July 20th* morning – that’s where it gets interesting. The swell drops to a more manageable 5ft, still from the east-northeast, with a solid 10-second period. The combined energy is still strong at 726. But the real kicker? The wind is glassy – a light 5 km/h from the north-northeast. That’s as clean as it gets. The water temp is sitting at 65°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year, so no surprises there. If you can get out that Monday morning, that’s the standout of the whole forecast. The afternoon turns choppy with a cross-on breeze, so make it a morning mission.

After that, things get ordinary again. The rest of the week into the weekend is a mix of poor conditions and marginal surf. We get a little bump on Thursday, July 23rd afternoon – a 5ft south swell at 7 seconds, period is a bit short, but with a light cross-off breeze it’ll be clean. It’s a decent option, but nothing to write home about.

Saturday, July 25th morning looks promising again for a brief moment – 4ft south swell, 10-second period, and glassy winds from the north-northwest. That’s another clean window, but it’s small. The energy is moderate at 373. The afternoon gets ruined by a cross-on breeze, so again, go early.

Then we hit a real dead zone. From Sunday, July 26th right through to Tuesday, July 28th, the surf is tiny – under 3ft – and the winds are all over the place. Not worth your time.

Wednesday, July 29th morning throws a 8ft south swell our way, combined energy of 1078, but the wind is a moderate cross-on from the northwest, and the forecast says poor conditions. That’s a messy, blown-out lump. Hard pass.

The same story continues for the end of July and into August 1st – we see some size (8ft on the 31st morning – that’s big, expert-only stuff) but the wind is onshore and strong, up to 30 km/h. It’s just not going to be a fun paddle. The final session on Saturday, August 1st afternoon has a 4ft south swell with a clean cross-off breeze, but it’s marginal and the energy is weak.

So, bottom line: the one true standout is Monday morning, July 20th – glassy conditions, solid east-northeast swell, and clean lines. After that, Saturday morning the 25th is a good backup. The rest is a lot of waiting and watching.

Stay frothy,
Rusty

Read more