Backdoor 4 Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here with the lowdown for this stretch of coast over the next couple of weeks.

First thing to know: the water's runnin' a touch cooler than usual for August, about a degree and a half colder than average. You're looking at about 63°F for that first session, so maybe grab a thicker spring suit.

Alright, the opening act. Saturday the 15th afternoon, we're looking at a fun little window. Swell is 5ft out of the S with an 8-second period – not a world-beater, but the wind is light offshore from the S at 9 mph. That offshore breeze is gonna put a real nice face on those waves. Combined swell energy is moderate at 341, and the call is "good surf". It's a reef break that's very consistent, and you get that east exposure for the swell. This is your go-to for a clean, fun afternoon session. Keep an eye out, though – the crowds say "sometimes", so you might have some company.

Sunday the 16th through Tuesday the 20th is pretty average. We see a mix of cross-offshore and cross-shore winds with heights between 3ft and 5ft, but the quality is dialed back. Periods are short, around 6 to 7 seconds, so it’ll be a bit fat and weak. There’s a real glassy morning on Wednesday the 19th with zero wind, but the swell is tiny at 2ft and from the ESE. It’s surfable, but you’ll be working hard for nothing special. Then from Thursday the 20th through Saturday the 22nd, the wind goes completely wrong – onshore and cross-onshore from the N, NE, and NW – and the energy drops to weak levels (60-109). Honestly, that stretch is a write-off for a proper surf. If the wind holds, it’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session.

Now, here’s where it gets tasty. Sunday the 23rd, we get a pulse of proper groundswell. The morning shows 5ft from the S with a 12-second period, and the wind is a light cross-offshore from the SW at just 6 mph. The combined energy jumps to a very solid 559 – that's a serious push of water. This is the standout of the whole run. That long period (over 11 seconds) will bring some proper lines and energy, but at a reef break, it should handle it beautifully. Expect clean, powerful waves. After that, Monday and Tuesday the 24th-25th see the swell fade and the wind pick up strong from the SW (18-22 mph), so it gets a bit blown out.

Then we hit a major change. From Wednesday the 26th right through to Saturday the 29th, the swell gets absolutely honking. We're talking 8ft on the 26th morning, ramping up to 16ft on the 27th morning, and even hitting 15ft with a 13-second period on the 28th. The combined energy readings are enormous – between 1251 and 12258. That is very, very strong energy. The problem is, it's too big. The forecast notes explicitly say the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. Winds during this time are light to moderate offshore or cross-offshore, which would make it epic elsewhere, but here at Backdoor 4, it's going to be a washing machine. This is expert-only territory, and honestly, it might be completely unsurfable. Don't even think about paddling out.

Finally, the run finishes on Sunday the 30th. The swell drops back to a more manageable 7ft from the SSE with a 10-second period, with light cross-offshore winds and a combined energy of 759. It’s still a bit large but the condition is called "very good surf". It’ll be a big, clean, powerful wave to end the period, but still one for the confident surfer.

So, to wrap it up: your absolute best window for a clean, fun, surfable wave is Sunday morning the 23rd of August. That's the one to circle on the calendar. The following week is either too small, blown out, or way, way too big. Get out there for that Sunday session.

- Rusty

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