Backdoor 4 Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up for Backdoor 4.

This is a reef setup, very consistent, but it doesn’t hold every size. We’ve got a run of surf ahead, but you need to pick your moments. The early part of the window has some solid energy, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag with size.

Right off the bat, Wednesday afternoon the 8th sees a solid 8ft swell from the SE, with a period of 11 seconds – a bit of a groundswell feel. The wave energy is strong, clocking in at (1567), but this one’s already pushing into the too-big category for this break. That said, the water temp is sitting at 66°, which is about average for the time of year, so you won’t need a ton of rubber. Wind is cross-off from the SSW at 9 mph, so it’ll be clean, but be aware of the size if you’re not an experienced surfer.

Thursday the 9th is where it turns on properly. Morning sees the swell dropping a touch to 6ft from the SE, but the wind is a light SW cross-off at 6 mph, and the wave energy is still decent (846). It’s clean, with very good surf conditions. Thursday afternoon gets even better – wind swings to a light S at 3 mph, going offshore, and the swell sits at 6ft from the SE. This is glassy, high-quality stuff. Friday morning the 10th holds clean cross-off winds with a 5ft SE swell (659), but the real standout is Friday afternoon: glassy conditions with a 6ft SE swell and only 3 mph SSE wind. The wave energy is moderate (592), but the glass-off makes it the pick of the first few days. For a reef break, those offshore and glassy winds are gold.

Then we hit a lull. From Saturday the 11th onwards, the surf drops off. Sizes fall below 4ft, and by Sunday the 12th we’re down to 2ft with a fresh cross-shore wind of 19 mph from the W. That’s messy, poor surf. This flat spell runs all the way through to the morning of Tuesday the 14th, with tiny, weak waves and poor conditions.

But don’t write the whole forecast off. Wednesday the 15th afternoon brings a sudden pulse of 8ft from the S, but it’s short period at 7 seconds (487 energy). The wind is light and cross-onshore, and it’s flagged as too big again. Thursday the 16th gets intense – a 12ft SSE swell with a fresh cross-off wind of 19 mph, but the period is a short 8 seconds. The energy is pumping (1468), but that’s expert-only territory. That size and short period at a reef will be a washing machine. The afternoon holds 10ft with even stronger 28 mph winds – definitely only for the experienced, and even then, it’s a handful.

Through the end of the second week, from Friday the 17th to Sunday the 19th, we’ve got consistent 7 to 10ft SSE swell, but always with strong, clean cross-off winds. The energy is high (886 to 1545), but the size keeps it in the “too big” zone for the average surfer. By Monday the 20th, it drops to 7ft with a longer 11-second period, and the energy (962) is still solid, but it’s flagged as marginal.

The best chance for a session in the second week is Tuesday the 21st morning. The swell drops to 5ft from the SE with a nice 11-second period, and the wind goes glassy – light W at 3 mph. That’s clean, manageable size, and the energy is moderate (560). The reef should offer some proper lines. Wednesday the 22nd still has some clean options with a 3ft SE swell and glassy offshore S wind in the afternoon, but the energy is low (257).

Overall, the standout windows are Thursday the 9th afternoon and Friday the 10th afternoon for quality, clean surf. For the second week, circle Tuesday the 21st morning – it’s the best bet before the swell fades again.

This is Rusty, signing off.

Read more