4 Mile Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s cut to it: the next couple weeks look pretty bleak for a proper surf. We’ve got a run of small, chopped-up, cross-shore junk coming, with hardly a window of clean conditions. It’s a real dry spell, so don’t get your hopes up.

Starting this Friday morning at 4 Mile, there’s a little energy in the water – moderate combined energy at 379 – with a 2ft SSW swell rolling in at a long 15 seconds. But the wind’s cross-on from the west at 6 mph, putting a few ripples on it. It’s marginal at best. The water temp is about average for this time of year. Friday afternoon the wind picks up and goes cross-shore, and the surf just dies.

The weekend is more of the same. Saturday morning has a bit more size at 3ft, but it’s choppy with a cross-on breeze. Sunday’s no better. The whole stretch from Friday through Monday morning is basically a write-off – poor conditions, cross-shore winds, and lumpy, messy waves. If you’re a kite surfer, this might look better than for paddle surfing, but for us, it’s a no-go.

Tuesday the 18th offers a tiny glimmer – still only 3ft to 3ft, with the energy up a bit to 660, but the wind stays cross-shore and the waves are still messy. Not worth getting wet for. The pattern holds: small SSW swells, but the wind just won’t give us a break.

Heading into the next week, the swell direction shifts to the northwest, but the period drops right off to a short, weak 8 seconds. This is windswell, not groundswell. The energy picks up a little on the 19th (870), with 5ft on offer, but it’s short-period and cross-shore. A messy combo, not a clean one. This junk continues through the 24th and 25th, with bigger readings up to 6ft, but the quality is still poor. The period stays under 9 seconds, and the wind is relentless.

After that, the swell fades and swings back to the south. There’s a pulse on the 28th – the energy jumps into the strong range at 1237 – with 5ft to 6ft of south swell at a more respectable 14-15 seconds. But again, the wind is up to 19 mph and cross-shore, making it lumpy and hard to handle. This one’s for the experts only, and even then, it’s a struggle. The period is long enough to be proper groundswell, but the wind is going to ruin it.

So, honestly, there is no standout session in the entire 16-day window. The best you can hope for is a few marginal mornings where the tide lines up and the wind is at its lightest, but that’s a stretch. If you’re desperate, Tuesday the 18th morning might be your least terrible option – light breeze, small but cleanish lines – but it’s still only 3ft.

Keep an eye on the charts, but don’t hold your breath. It’s a dry run.

Rusty.

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