4 Mile Surf Break

Lat Long: 36.99° N 122.16° W

4 Mile Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 4 am 15 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's 4 Mile sea temperature is
16.3° C
1.7° 

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 15 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 15 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 16s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 15 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 16s period, SSW swell with 512 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 15 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 16s 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 15) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 12s. Another secondary swell of 0.7m and 11s 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 1.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)11PM (Sat 15th Aug)3.5ft (1.0m) 16s
Best Surf11PM (Sat 15th Aug)3.5ft (1.0m) 16s
Most Powerful11AM (Sat 15th Aug)3.5ft (1.0m) 16s

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


The Lowdown

G’day, it’s Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you—this run of surf is a tough one for 4 Mile. I’m looking at the next 16 days and, to be honest, there’s nothing that’s going to have you scrambling for your board. The whole period is littered with poor surf conditions and only a handful of mornings that are even worth a mention, and even then, they’re marginal.

We kick things off this Saturday the 15th with a small 3ft SSW swell rolling in with a 16-second period. The energy’s moderate at 563, but the wind is cross-on from the W at 19 mph, so it’s already a bit chopped up. The water temperature here at 4 Mile is 61°, which is a touch warmer than the long-term average for this time of year—nothing crazy, but you might notice it’s a little more comfortable than usual. Sunday the 16th is more of the same, 3ft dropping to 3ft, but the morning breeze is light, so there’s a tiny window of cleaner conditions before the wind picks up and it turns to mush by the afternoon.

The start of next week, from the 17th through the 19th, is pretty bleak. Swell stays under 3ft, periods drop slightly, and the cross-shore winds are relentless. The energy is weak to moderate, in the 373 to 742 range, and it just doesn’t have any push. By Thursday the 20th, we see the swell size bump up a bit, hitting 5ft, but it’s a short-period NW windswell at 7 seconds. That’s a telltale sign of messy, crumbly surf. The following days through the 23rd see some bigger 5ft to 6ft NW windswell, but the period is still in that 8-9 second range, and with strong cross-shore winds at 25 mph, this is looking a lot more like a kitesurfing setup than a paddle-surfing one. It’s going to be lumpy and hard to find any clean face.

We do get a little more interesting around the 26th and 27th. A S swell shows up at 4ft to 4ft with a 17-second period. That's proper groundswell, way more energy, and the wind is lighter, which could make things a bit more organized. The energy is strong too—867 and 919—so there’s some actual push in the water. But it’s still rated as marginal, so tide is going to be a factor. Then we roll into the final days of the month, the 28th to the 30th. The swell lingers around the 3ft to 4ft mark from the SSW with decent 16 to 19-second periods, and the morning windows look the best of the entire run, especially with lighter winds. The energy is strong at over 1000, but it’s still not going to be a classic. And remember, any long-period groundswell like this is going to be better at a point or reef, but for a beach break like 4 Mile, it might just close out. It’s also a fairly consistent spot, so if you’re keen, the morning of the 29th or 30th would be your pick, but keep your expectations low. It’s been a dry spell, and this one looks like it might not break. Keep an eye on it, though—it tends not to stay this poor for long.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat morning, min 13°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Tue afternoon, min 14°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light.

Saturday
15
Sunday
16
Monday
17
Tuesday
18
Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
0
3
1
0
2
0
0
2
0
0
2
1
0
3
0
0
3
0
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)
1
SSW
16
1
SSW
16
1
SSW
16
1
SSW
16
0.9
SSW
15
0.9
SSW
15
0.9
SSW
15
0.9
SSW
15
0.8
SSW
14
0.8
SSW
15
0.9
SSW
16
0.7
SSW
14
0.9
SSW
15
0.9
SSW
15
1.7
NW
8
0.8
WNW
12
0.7
SSW
14
1.6
NW
8
0.4
SW
18
1.4
WNW
8
1.7
NW
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
512
493
481
469
362
334
334
334
239
259
366
163
305
322
355
156
206
291
105
290
400
Wind (km/h)
15
W
25
NW
10
N
10
WNW
20
WNW
5
N
15
WNW
25
NW
15
NW
20
WNW
25
NW
10
NNW
15
WNW
25
NW
15
NNW
20
NW
25
NW
10
NNW
20
WNW
25
NW
15
NNW
Wind State
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
High Tide
1:23PM1.96m
1:19AM1.80m
1:58PM1.98m
2:18AM1.60m
2:35PM1.97m
3:30AM1.43m
3:15PM1.94m
5:05AM1.33m
4:02PM1.90m
7:01AM1.33m
4:57PM1.88m
8:32AM1.39m
5:58PM1.89m
Low Tide
7:27PM0.76m
7:29AM0.61m
8:26PM0.72m
8:02AM0.81m
9:30PM0.70m
8:35AM1.00m
10:40PM0.68m
9:12AM1.15m
11:53PM0.64m
10:03AM1.27m
1:01AM0.58m
11:22AM1.34m
1:57AM0.51m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:24
6:26
6:26
6:26
6:28
6:28
6:30
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:00
7:59
7:58
7:55
7:54
7:53
7:52
 mm
Temp °C
18
18
16
17
18
16
17
18
17
19
22
19
19
21
18
20
21
18
20
21
18
Feels °C
16
15
13
16
16
14
15
15
14
16
19
17
17
19
16
17
17
15
18
18
16
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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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