4 Mile Surf Break

Lat Long: 36.99° N 122.16° W

4 Mile Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 10 pm 21 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's 4 Mile sea temperature is
16.2°C
1.5° 

4 Mile surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


4 Mile surf forecast from 22 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 18s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 18s period, SSW swell with 705 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 13s period with SSW swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for 4 Mile this week:

The surf forecast for 4 Mile over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 22) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 10s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 5s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at 4 Mile in the next 16 days are 1.1m 18s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 5AM (Sat 22nd Aug)1.5ft (0.5m) 13s
Best Surf 5AM (Sat 29th Aug)3.5ft (1.1m) 18s
Most Powerful 5AM (Sat 29th Aug)3.5ft (1.1m) 18s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for 4 Mile over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

G’day, this is Rusty. Let’s talk about the surf at 4 Mile for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta say it’s a pretty quiet spell for the first few days. We’re looking at a real slow start, with nothing really worth paddling out for until around Thursday the 27th of August. The first couple of days are just a bit lackluster, with small swell and cross-shore winds that aren’t doing us any favours.

So, the first real glimmer of hope comes on Thursday morning, the 27th. We’ll see a long-period swell from the south, about 4ft, with a period of 14 seconds. That’s a groundswell, and it’s got some decent energy (combined energy of all swells directed here: 684). The wind is a gentle cross-shore, so the surface will be a bit crinkly but not blown out. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so a spring suit should be fine.

The standout is on Saturday the 29th of August. The morning session looks the pick. The swell is from the south-southwest, 4ft, with a very long period of 18 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, and the energy is cranking (combined energy of all swells directed here: 1175). The wind is a gentle cross-shore from the west-northwest, so it’s going to be smooth and clean. This is a point break, so that long-period energy will really wrap in and give you some nice, long lines. It’s an advanced spot, so be ready for some power. Crowds are often, so expect a few other keen locals in the water.

The end of the first week and into the second week sees a bit of a bump in size, but the quality drops off. From Monday the 31st of August through to the 1st of September, the swell gets a bit bigger, but it’s a short-period, choppy wind swell. The wind stays cross-shore, but it’s stronger, and the waves are just messy. The energy is moderate (combined energy of all swells directed here: 454 to 517), but the shape is poor.

Then we get a bigger pulse from the west-northwest around the 2nd and 3rd of September. The swell height is around 6ft, which is a solid size for this spot, but the period is short (8-9 seconds). The wind is still cross-shore or cross-onshore, so it’s going to be a bit of a battle. The energy is jumping up (combined energy of all swells directed here: 671 to 737), but for this point break, that short-period, cross-chop is just not going to be pretty. It’s a bit of a messy, washing-machine affair.

The final little highlight is on the 5th of September. The morning sees a 3ft south-southwest swell with a nice 16-second period (combined energy of all swells directed here: 1020). The wind is light cross-onshore, so it’ll be clean-ish. It’s a promising note for the very end of the forecast, but we’re a long way out, so keep an eye on it.

Overall, the best bet is the Saturday the 29th of August. That’s your window for a proper session. The rest of the time, it’s mostly small, wind-affected, or just a bit too messy to get excited about.

Stay keen, Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sat afternoon, min 15°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Wed afternoon, min 15°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
0
0
3
0
0
2
0
0
2
0
0
2
1
0
3
2
0
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.5
SSW
13
0.5
SSW
13
0.4
SSW
17
1.5
NW
7
1
WNW
8
0.4
SW
18
0.5
SW
18
0.5
SW
18
0.5
SW
17
0.6
SSW
17
0.6
SSW
16
0.5
SW
16
0.5
SW
16
0.6
SSW
16
0.5
S
17
1
S
16
1.1
S
14
1.1
S
13
1.6
NW
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
99
99
111
242
144
86
157
155
150
190
181
130
124
169
140
477
452
420
269
Wind (km/h)
10
NNW
15
WNW
25
NW
10
NNW
10
WNW
20
WNW
5
NNW
10
W
15
WNW
5
N
15
WNW
25
NW
10
NNW
15
NW
25
NW
10
NNW
15
WNW
25
NW
10
NNW
Wind State
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-on
cross
glassy
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
High Tide
9:19AM1.45m
6:56PM1.93m
9:50AM1.50m
7:47PM1.98m
10:16AM1.54m
8:32PM2.04m
10:39AM1.59m
9:14PM2.08m
11:02AM1.65m
9:54PM2.09m
11:24AM1.71m
10:34PM2.05m
Low Tide
1:57AM0.51m
12:43PM1.34m
2:43AM0.43m
1:43PM1.31m
3:21AM0.36m
2:32PM1.25m
3:55AM0.31m
3:14PM1.17m
4:25AM0.29m
3:56PM1.08m
4:54AM0.31m
4:37PM0.99m
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:31
6:31
6:31
6:33
6:33
6:35
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:51
7:50
7:47
7:46
7:45
7:44
 mm
Temp °C
16
20
22
19
19
19
17
18
19
18
20
21
18
21
23
20
21
23
19
Feels °C
13
18
18
16
18
17
16
17
17
17
18
18
15
19
19
17
19
19
16
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Information about the 4 Mile Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for 4 Mile provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at 4 Mile can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our 4 Mile 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 (4 Mile) 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 4 Mile 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.

4 Mile is 12 km (7 miles) from Santa Cruz. If you plan a vacation in Santa Cruz, look for hotels and other accommodation in Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.

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