Surf Forecasts:
Backdoor 4 surf forecast from 26 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 30 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 11s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 30 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 11s period, S swell with 1,736 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 27 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 9s 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 Monday (Jul 27) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Backdoor 4 in the next 16 days are 2.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 30) at 7AM. 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 6s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 30) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Mon 27th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Thu 30th Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Thu 30th Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Backdoor 4 over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's see what this stretch has in store.
We're not jumping straight into the good stuff. The first real waves show up Monday morning, July 27th, but they're nothing to write home about. For a few days after that, it’s mostly small, weak, and messy. You'd be better off doing maintenance on your stick.
The Best of It
There are two times you need to circle on your calendar, but they come with a serious warning. The first is Thursday, July 30th. That morning, Backdoor 4 is looking at a solid 8ft south swell with a 10-second period. The energy is pumping with a reading of 2484, and a clean cross-offshore breeze. That is some serious, heavy water. This is not a spot for beginners; this is strictly for experts. The afternoon is the same story--a 8ft swell with clean offshore wind (1839 energy). The water temp is 65°, dead average for the season.
Friday, July 31st, is a repeat. The morning sees a 8ft south swell (1239 energy) with a cross-offshore breeze, and the afternoon is bigger at 8ft with a clean, moderate offshore wind (2388 energy). Again, this is big, powerful, expert-only surf. You need to have your wits about you.
For everyone else, the best window is Saturday, August 1st. The afternoon pulls in a much friendlier 5ft south-southeast swell with gentle offshore wind (517 energy). It’s clean and way more manageable. The break is very consistent, so you'll get plenty of rides.
The Gaps and the Rest
After that Saturday, the forecast goes flat for a while. From Sunday, August 2nd, through Friday, August 7th, the swell is small to nonexistent, the wind is mostly onshore or cross, and the energy is weak. That’s about a week of not-worth-it.
Saturday, August 8th afternoon has another big spike--a 8ft east-southeast swell (923 energy) with offshore wind. Once again, that's getting into the "experts only" category.
After that, it's back to small, choppy conditions. Monday, August 10th, and Tuesday, August 11th, bring some chest-to-head-high easterly swell (6ft to 6ft), but the onshore winds will chop it up.
So, to sum it up: Saturday, August 1st afternoon is your best bet for a clean, fun session. If you're an expert and hungry for a big one, the 30th and 31st of July are calling your name.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Tue morning, min 8°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon morning, fresh winds from the WSW by Wed morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat morning, min 10°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | 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 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | S 15 | S 17 | S 16 | NE 6 | S 10 | S 10 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 235 | 185 | 108 | 41 | 24 | 17 | 23 | 5 | 6 | 1468 | 1066 | 1575 | 1235 | 1351 | 697 | 573 | 454 | 305 | 275 | 205 | 336 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | glassy | on | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 6:54PM1.52m | 7:33AM1.02m | 7:32PM1.57m | 8:10AM1.07m | 8:08PM1.60m | 8:46AM1.11m | 8:43PM1.60m | 9:22AM1.16m | 9:17PM1.58m | 9:58AM1.20m | 9:52PM1.53m | 10:36AM1.25m | 10:28PM1.45m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:15PM0.43m | 1:44AM0.26m | 12:57PM0.39m | 2:19AM0.21m | 1:38PM0.36m | 2:52AM0.17m | 2:16PM0.34m | 3:24AM0.14m | 2:56PM0.34m | 3:55AM0.13m | 3:36PM0.35m | 4:26AM0.13m | 4:19PM0.37m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | | | | | | | | | |  |  | | | | | | |
 | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — |
 | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:15 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 15 |
Feels °C | 13 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 16 | NE 6 | S 10 | S 10 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 12 |
| kJ | 235 | 185 | 108 | 41 | 24 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 1009 | 769 | 1575 | 1235 | 1035 | 697 | 573 | 454 | 305 | 275 | 205 | 336 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 8 | NE 8 | SE 16 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 6 | NE 5 | S 14 | ENE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 8 | SE 13 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | SE 13 | ENE 8 |
| kJ | 2 | 2 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 46 | 66 | 114 | 87 | 6 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 17 | SE 14 | E 8 | NNE 3 | SE 15 | S 15 | S 17 | SE 6 | E 13 | E 12 | E 13 | — | — | — | E 13 | S 16 | S 15 | S 13 | E 17 | E 17 | E 16 |
| kJ | 6 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 17 | 23 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | 3 | 5 | 17 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 5 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NE 3 | — | N 3 | WNW 3 | NW 3 | WSW 4 | SSW 6 | S 10 | S 10 | — | — | S 10 | — | — | — | NE 3 | NNE 9 | NE 3 | NE 5 |
| kJ | — | — | 5 | — | 1 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 121 | 1468 | 1066 | — | — | 1351 | — | — | — | 1 | 7 | 5 | 26 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 72 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 84 | 218 | 208 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 37 | 3 |
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.
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