Backdoor 4 Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right now, Backdoor 4 is pretty much flat and messy. We’ve got some small, weak swell pushing through, but the wind’s all over the place – cross-onshore and lumpy. It’s not doing anything for the reef, and the forecast for the next couple of days is pretty grim. You’re looking at ankle-biters with poor conditions, and honestly, it’s not worth paddling out.

Then the real juice shows up. Wednesday the 16th, a big S swell rolls in. We’re talking 10ft to 13ft with a 9-10 second period. The combined energy is huge – 1727 to 2847 in the morning and afternoon. But here’s the kicker: it’s too big for this break. Even with offshore winds and clean conditions, it’s going to be a washing machine. This is expert-only territory, and honestly, even then, it might be too much. Thursday the 17th stays oversized, 8ft to 10ft, still pushing strong energy (1347-2286), with cleaner winds. But again, this isn’t the spot for it. It’s a reef break, and with that much water moving, it’s going to be dangerous and closed out.

After that, things drop fast. Friday the 18th is small again – 5ft – but the wind is cross-onshore and choppy, so it’s not great. Then Saturday the 19th, we get a small window. The swell is only 2ft to 2ft, but the period jumps to 16-17 seconds. That’s a long-period groundswell, and it’s glassy in the morning. The energy is weak though – 262-340 – so it’s going to be small and slow. It’s a fun, clean day for a log or a mid-length, but nothing serious.

Then it goes flat again for a few days. Wind’s onshore, chop picks up, and there’s nothing doing. The 21st throws another massive spike – 13ft with 3166 energy – but again, too big for this break. Not a paddle session, that’s for sure.

The end of the month is mostly junk. Small, short-period swell, cross-onshore winds, and plenty of chop. There’s a brief moment on Sunday the 27th afternoon – 6ft with a 7-second period and offshore wind – but the period’s short, so it’ll be crumbly and sectiony. Not a standout.

Honestly, if you’re a beginner, stay away from the big days (anything over 5ft is pushing it, and over 8ft is expert-only). If you’re experienced, the 17th and 21st are the only real windows for size, but they might be too wild for this reef. The cleanest surf is Saturday the 19th, but it’s small. For the rest, the wind and chop make it a kite-surfing kind of week more than a paddle-surfing one.

Remember, long-period swells like the one on the 19th can break a bit too straight at beach breaks, but this is a reef, so it should hold its shape if it has any push. It’s just not going to have much power.

Rusty out.

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