Backdoor Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again, and I’m not gonna sugarcoat it. The next 16 days at Backdoor are looking pretty grim for surf. You’re looking at a long, flat spell with nothing worth paddling out for for a good week and a half.

Starting Sunday the 5th through to the 11th, the swell is tiny. We’re talking waves around 0.3 ft to 1.0 ft, with weak combined energy sitting between 2 and 42 (very weak). The wind is a cross-off from the ENE, but it’s blowing a fresh breeze at 18-22 mph, so it’s not clean. It’s a total write-off.

Things perk up a bit around Sunday the 12th. The energy climbs into the moderate range, with a 2 ft to 2 ft swell from the SW and W. The combined energy hits 165 on the 12th and goes up to 340 by the 14th. The period stretches out to 15-16 seconds, which is a long-period groundswell. That’s good for a reef break like this one, but the wind is still a cross-off. While the breeze drops to a moderate 12-15 mph, it’s not offshore. The forecast calls it “poor” or “marginal” for surfing, scoring a 0 or 1 out of 10. The water temp is 79°, which is normal for the time of year.

From the 15th onward, the swell fades again. Wednesday the 15th has some 2 ft, 16-second swell, but by the 20th we’re back to 0.7 ft and weak energy. The wind stays cross-off or onshore, so the second week doesn’t look any better.

Honestly, the whole 16-day window has no real standout. The best of a bad lot might be Sunday the 12th through Tuesday the 14th, when the energy is highest, but you’d be fighting a cross-off breeze for some pretty average waves. If you’re a beginner, the swell is small enough, but it’s not clean. The wind and cross-off setup make this look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Hang tight, folks. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a flat spell.

- Rusty

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