Surf Forecasts:
Backdoor surf forecast from 27 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 11AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 9s period, NNE swell with 307 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Backdoor this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Backdoor in the next 16 days are 1.4m 9s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 11s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (HST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Backdoor over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this outlook is a tough one. The data shows a long, dry stretch with no good surf on offer for the first week and a half. We’re looking at a gap of nearly 15 days before anything even starts to look worth a paddle. The pattern is set for a flat spell, so keep your expectations on ice.
The first day that even flashes a hint of life is Monday morning, 11 August. Even then, it’s marginal. The real action, if you can call it that, starts to build a few days later. Nothing here is a standout, but if you’re desperate, the best of a very poor bunch is the run from Thursday afternoon, 7 August through Saturday morning, 9 August, but with a big caveat.
Let’s talk about Backdoor. This is a reef break, and it’s fairly consistent, but it’s exposed to the swell. The problem is, the swell direction is coming from the W and WNW, which is not the optimum NW direction this spot wants. The combined energy climbs from a moderate 218 (on Thursday morning, 7 August) to a strong 346 (Saturday morning, 9 August). That’s decent energy, but the swell height is only 2 ft to 3 ft. The period is a very long 14 to 15 seconds, which is a proper groundswell. For a reef like Backdoor, that long period can be a blessing, giving shape and power, but the size is anemic. The wind is a cross-off from the E to ENE, which is a major positive – it will keep the faces clean. Crowds are likely here, which is a pain when the surf is this small. Water temperature is about average for the time of year, nothing weird.
Honestly, the whole 16-day window is a bust. The swell is too small and the conditions are too marginal. For the first week, it’s a total write-off. The second week offers a little bump, but it’s still not something to get excited about. Beginners might find the 2 ft to 3 ft waves manageable, but the long period and reef bottom make it a tricky place to learn. For experts, it’s just not enough water to do anything with.
This is a blank run for the area. It’s a bummer, but it happens. Forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it, but for now, I wouldn’t be waxing the board.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 27°C on Wed morning, min 24°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the ENE on Sun afternoon, light winds from the WNW by Wed morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Wed night. Warm (max 27°C on Wed afternoon, min 25°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed afternoon, fresh winds from the ENE by Fri night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | ||||||||||||||
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) | E 15 | E 15 | NE 7 | NE 7 | ENE 13 | NNE 9 | NNE 6 | N 9 | SW 15 | SW 20 | N 10 | SW 18 | N 9 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 11 | N 10 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 0 | 0 | 301 | 281 | 0 | 307 | 140 | 181 | 8 | 15 | 2 | 49 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 17 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | on | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:13PM0.75m | 00:03AM0.33m | 2:41PM0.76m | 00:53AM0.35m | 3:06PM0.77m | 1:35AM0.37m | 3:30PM0.77m | 2:18AM0.39m | 3:52PM0.75m | 3:02AM0.41m | 4:11PM0.72m | 3:50AM0.42m | 4:28PM0.68m | 4:45AM0.44m | ||||||
Low Tide | 9:55PM0.32m | 6:43AM0.06m | 9:58PM0.32m | 7:19AM0.04m | 10:09PM0.31m | 7:52AM0.05m | 10:24PM0.30m | 8:24AM0.07m | 10:40PM0.28m | 8:56AM0.11m | 10:57PM0.26m | 9:28AM0.18m | 11:17PM0.23m | |||||||
 |  |  | |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — |
 | 7:14 | — | — | 7:14 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:12 | — | — | 7:12 | — | — | 7:10 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | 4 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 |
Feels °C | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 15 | E 15 | E 14 | E 13 | SSW 14 | E 13 | E 12 | ENE 11 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | SW 18 | E 16 | E 15 | E 15 | E 15 | E 15 | E 15 | E 14 |
| kJ | 418 | 706 | 640 | 690 | 40 | 1329 | 1764 | 1820 | 1071 | 575 | 35 | 49 | 79 | 129 | 159 | 216 | 267 | 286 | 267 | 264 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | S 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 19 | SSW 13 | N 9 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
| kJ | 84 | 49 | 42 | 41 | 37 | 36 | 35 | 36 | 36 | 38 | 37 | 34 | 15 | 68 | 65 | 60 | 56 | 50 | 47 | 49 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | — | S 10 | S 11 | — | S 10 | — | S 16 | SW 15 | SW 20 | N 10 | N 9 | SSW 13 | N 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 11 | N 10 |
| kJ | 9 | — | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | — | 20 | 8 | 15 | 2 | 7 | 34 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 17 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 8 | ENE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | ENE 13 | NNE 9 | NNE 6 | N 9 | — | — | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
| kJ | 358 | 329 | 301 | 281 | 2253 | 307 | 140 | 181 | — | — | 485 | 324 | 308 | 422 | 523 | 544 | 617 | 795 | 850 | 910 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 26 | 24 | 24 | 29 | 24 | 28 | 42 | 13 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 28 | 165 | 167 | 167 | 26 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Oahu | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Backdoor surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
Information about the Backdoor Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Backdoor provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Backdoor can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Backdoor 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) 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 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 is 19 km (12 miles) from Wahiawa. If you plan a vacation in Oahu, look for hotels and other accommodation in Wahiawa. Wahiawa has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
Nearest