Surf Forecasts:
Backdoor 4 surf forecast from 4 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 7 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 9s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 10 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 8s period, ENE swell with 379 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 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 Friday (Aug 07) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 10s. 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 1.7m 8s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 10) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 1PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Mon 10th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Backdoor 4 over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you: this 16-day window for Backdoor 4 is a real mixed bag – mostly a waiting game. We start with a whole lot of nothing. From Tuesday, August 4th, right through to the morning of Thursday, August 13th, it’s a dry spell. The swell is tiny, the energy is weak, and conditions are just plain poor. You’re looking at a solid week and a half of flat to marginal junk. Don’t bother paddling out.
The first real signs of life show up on the morning of Thursday, August 13th. We get a bit of a pulse, with a light breeze and clean conditions. The energy is starting to build, but the waves are still small and a bit messy. It’s a tease, not a green light.
Now, the standout. Friday, August 14th, is the one to circle. The morning session is the clear winner. We’re looking at a solid 6ft S swell with a long 12-second period – that’s proper groundswell energy. The wind is a light SW breeze, keeping it clean. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The afternoon is a step down, but still good at 5ft. For a reef break like Backdoor 4, that long-period S swell is going to be a treat.
Saturday, August 15th, is another interesting day. The afternoon is the pick. The swell is only 3ft, but the period is a very long 22 seconds. You’ll have a light SE breeze, and the waves will be clean. That long period might make it a bit tricky at the beach, but for a reef setup, it’ll be super clean and lined up. The morning is also worth a look with glassy conditions and a 1ft, 25-second swell, but it’s tiny.
Sunday, August 16th, and Monday, August 17th, offer more clean, rideable waves. The morning of the 17th is glassy and clean with a 3ft S swell. It’s not the standout, but it’s a solid session. After that, the energy fades out again through the rest of the week. The water temp is around 64°, which is normal for this time of year at Backdoor 4.
So, the plan is clear. Save your energy for Friday, August 14th, morning. That’s your best shot. The Saturday afternoon on the 15th is a close second for a very different, long-period, clean wave. The rest is a write-off.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Tue morning, min 9°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun morning, min 9°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SE on Fri morning, fresh winds from the NW by Sun night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SE 10 | SE 7 | E 11 | E 10 | E 9 | S 12 | S 10 | S 8 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 25 | 12 | 9 | 31 | 26 | 24 | 46 | 116 | 126 | 129 | 92 | 51 | 45 | 44 | 32 | 61 | 172 | 363 | 304 | 158 | 121 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on |
High Tide | 12:01PM1.32m | 11:57PM1.24m | 12:52PM1.35m | 00:55AM1.12m | 1:51PM1.39m | 2:10AM1.03m | 2:58PM1.44m | 3:35AM0.98m | 4:07PM1.52m | 4:56AM1.00m | 5:11PM1.61m | 6:03AM1.06m | 6:09PM1.71m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:03PM0.43m | 6:16AM0.25m | 7:10PM0.45m | 7:05AM0.31m | 8:28PM0.44m | 8:05AM0.36m | 9:51PM0.38m | 9:15AM0.39m | 11:06PM0.28m | 10:26AM0.38m | 00:08AM0.16m | 11:31AM0.33m | 1:02AM0.07m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | |
 | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — |
 | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:20 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 14 |
Feels °C | 14 | 11 | 8 | 13 | 12 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 5 | S 6 | E 7 | E 10 | E 9 | E 8 | S 6 | S 8 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | SSE 9 | S 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 |
| kJ | 9 | 16 | 3 | 31 | 26 | 22 | 16 | 116 | 126 | 129 | 92 | 51 | 45 | 29 | 32 | 61 | 12 | 5 | 304 | 158 | 121 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | SSE 10 | E 11 | S 10 | SSW 5 | S 12 | S 10 | E 11 | E 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | S 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | E 14 | E 14 | S 7 | SSW 4 | SSW 5 |
| kJ | 25 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 24 | 46 | 21 | 18 | 40 | 56 | 51 | 30 | 44 | 24 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 7 | ENE 5 | S 9 | SE 12 | S 9 | NE 8 | E 8 | SSE 12 | SSE 13 | ENE 11 | ENE 10 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | NE 6 | S 7 | S 6 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | — | S 12 |
| kJ | 10 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 15 | 16 | 37 | 33 | 9 | 17 | 11 | 16 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 7 | SW 4 | SSW 5 | — | SW 4 | — | — | NNE 3 | WSW 3 | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | NE 3 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | W 3 | W 3 | W 3 |
| kJ | — | 12 | 16 | 17 | — | 20 | — | — | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 172 | 363 | 8 | 1 | 5 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 3 | 44 | 42 | 2 | 42 | 3 | 2 | 73 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 36 | 2 | 2 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 123 | 2 |
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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