4 Mile Surf Break

Lat Long: 36.99° N 122.16° W

4 Mile Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 10 pm 25 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's 4 Mile sea temperature is
16.3°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 26 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, 8AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 18s period, SSW swell with 877 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 26 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 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 Wednesday (Aug 26) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 6s. 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 1.2m 18s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 8AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 15s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 11AM.

Wave TypeTime (PDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 8AM (Wed 26th Aug)2ft (0.6m) 16s
Best Surf 5AM (Sat 29th Aug)3.5ft (1.1m) 18s
Most Powerful 8AM (Sat 29th Aug)4ft (1.2m) 18s

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


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – this 16-day stretch for the coast is a real mixed bag, and mostly a frustrating one. We’ve got a long, dry spell of poor surf quality before things finally turn interesting. The standout window is a good week and a bit away, so you’ll need some patience.

We kick off with a long stretch of nothing much to write home about. From Wednesday the 26th of August right through until Thursday the 3rd of September, the surf is just ugly – messy winds, constant cross-chop, and the forecast is mostly a zero. The swell is there, but it’s not doing us any favours with those directions. On Thursday the 3rd of September afternoon there’s a glimmer with 4ft S swell and moderate energy (951), but it’s still cross-shore and messy.

Then, finally, we get our moment. Friday the 4th of September is the clear standout. The early morning brings heavy rain, but with glassy conditions – that’s a 5 km/h NNW breeze, dead calm. The swell is a clean 3ft from the SSW, with a *very long* period of 18 seconds, and the combined energy is in the strong range (809). That’s proper groundswell. Afternoon goes even better: zero wind, glassy as a mirror, still 3ft SSW, period 17 seconds, energy 745. This is going to be clean, lined-up, and smooth at 4 Mile Point. The water temperature is about average for this time of year. The swell direction (SSW) matches the break’s optimum (W) about as well as you can hope for a point break – it’ll wrap in nicely. It’s advanced-level only though – the long period means it’ll wall up and be fast. And with crowds listed as “often”, expect company, but for this quality, it’ll be worth it. This break is fairly consistent, so this is a real treat, not a fluke.

After that, the weekend gets a bit bumpy again. Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th of September are marginal at best, with cross-shore and light onshore winds messing up the 3ft to 3ft SSW swell. The following Monday to Wednesday (7th-9th September) is similar – a lot of cross-shore chop, with swell holding around 3ft-3ft from the SSW, and energy in the moderate zone (356-870). Small, workable, but no fireworks. The very long period (21 seconds) on Monday the 7th afternoon is notable but ruined by 20 km/h cross winds. Thursday the 10th of September is more of the same – 3ft SSW, 16 seconds, 767 energy, but still cross-shore. Not a dud, but nothing to rush for.

Best bet: Without a doubt, get in the water on Friday the 4th of September. The morning and afternoon are both premium, glassy windows with long-period groundswell at 4 Mile Point. That’s the session to wait for.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Wed afternoon, min 17°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNW on Tue night, fresh winds from the NW by Thu afternoon).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Sat afternoon, light winds from the NW by Mon morning).

Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
0
0
3
0
0
1
2
0
3
2
0
3
0
0
2
0
0
1
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
SW
16
0.6
SSW
16
0.6
SSW
16
1.4
NW
7
0.5
SW
15
1.4
NW
6
1.6
NW
8
0.8
SSW
17
0.6
SSW
19
0.9
SSW
18
1.2
SSW
18
1
SSW
16
1.2
SSW
16
1.1
SSW
16
1
SSW
15
1
SSW
14
0.9
SSW
14
0.8
SSW
14
0.7
SSW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
124
169
171
189
133
167
297
336
292
486
823
505
688
554
411
400
325
226
156
Wind (km/h)
10
NNW
15
WNW
25
NW
15
NNW
20
NW
25
NW
20
NW
10
NW
25
NW
15
NNW
20
WNW
30
NW
15
NW
15
WNW
20
WNW
10
NW
15
W
20
WNW
10
N
Wind State
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-off
High Tide
9:14PM2.08m
11:02AM1.65m
9:54PM2.09m
11:24AM1.71m
10:34PM2.05m
11:47AM1.78m
11:15PM1.97m
12:11PM1.85m
00:00AM1.86m
12:37PM1.92m
00:49AM1.72m
1:06PM1.98m
1:46AM1.57m
Low Tide
4:25AM0.29m
3:56PM1.08m
4:54AM0.31m
4:37PM0.99m
5:22AM0.37m
5:19PM0.89m
5:49AM0.47m
6:04PM0.80m
6:16AM0.60m
6:51PM0.71m
6:43AM0.74m
7:44PM0.64m
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:33
6:35
6:35
6:35
6:37
6:37
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:45
7:44
7:43
7:40
7:39
7:38
 mm
Temp °C
20
24
26
22
24
24
20
17
20
17
18
19
16
16
17
14
16
17
15
Feels °C
18
21
21
19
21
20
18
15
17
14
15
15
12
14
15
11
14
14
12
  • Map Icons:
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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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