Fourth Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, lookin’ at the next 16 days for Fourth Beach. It’s a tricky outlook, mate. The big news is a massive pulse of west to south-west swell that’s gonna hammer the place, but the wind is gonna be a battle for most of it. There’s a short window early on that’s the pick, and then a couple of later sessions that are worth a look if you’re a seasoned local. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so a standard spring wetsuit will do.

Friday the 4th is a write-off. We’re talkin’ a brutal 13ft to 16ft of SW swell with a 31 mph cross-wind. The combined swell energy is a wild 6693 to 7405, but it’s ugly, messy, and dangerous. Don’t even think about it. Saturday the 5th morning is your one true standout. The swell drops to a still-solid 10ft from the SSW (3451 energy), but the wind swings around to a light north-westerly, giving us a clean, cross-off breeze. The sets will have some serious length on them, with a 14-second period, so expect lots of power and long, walling rides. This is for experienced surfers only – it’s too big for beginners. The afternoon gets a bit iffy as the wind turns light cross-onshore, dropping the swell to 8ft.

Sunday the 6th through to Tuesday the 10th is a long, disappointing stretch. The wind is a dog – onshore, cross-onshore, and strong – with lumpy, choppy conditions. The swell hangs around 10ft to 13ft with a mix of periods, but the poor wind quality ruins it. Combined energies are high, like 3801 to 7962, but it’s all just a messy, dangerous paddle. There’s a brief flicker on Thursday the 11th morning with a 5ft SSW swell (1338 energy) and a clean cross-off breeze, but it’s marginal and small.

The next real chance comes on Saturday the 12th afternoon. The wind fades to a moderate WNW cross-off, and the swell kicks back up to a solid 10ft from the SW with a 16-second period (4666 energy). The waves will be clean and powerful, but at 10ft it’s still only for the experienced crew. The morning of that day is a small 4ft SW swell (959 energy) with a fresh offshore wind, which is clean but tiny.

The second week is a bit of a lottery. From Sunday the 13th to Monday the 14th, the wind is back onshore and messy with strong cross-swells, so no good. Tuesday the 15th morning is a strange one – a huge 12ft SSW swell (7344 energy) with 18-second period, but it’s flagged as being too big for this break. The wind is light, but the sheer size makes it a big-wave mission for absolute experts only. Wednesday the 16th afternoon is similar, with a massive 15ft SSW swell (11972 energy) and 17-second period, again too big for most.

The last chance is Friday the 18th morning. Finally, a clean forecast! A gentle north-northwest offshore wind, a 7ft SSW swell (1756 energy) with a 13-second period. That’s a good, clean, powerful wave for experienced surfers, and it’s the best call in the second week. The morning of Saturday the 19th also has a huge 12ft SSW swell (11024 energy) with a 19-second period, but it’s once again flagged as too big for the break.

So, the pick is Saturday the 5th morning. That’s your clean, powerful, long-period swell with a glassy feel. After that, keep an eye on Saturday the 12th afternoon and Friday the 18th morning for a clean session, but don’t expect the same quality. The rest is a battle with the wind or just too much size.

Rusty.

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