Fourth Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's get into it.

We’ve got a solid run of surf coming up, but it’s a real mixed bag of conditions. The main player is Fourth Beach, a consistent, advanced spot that’s fairly exposed to the south-west swell. The water temperature is sitting at 62°F, which is about average for this time of year.

The first real chance to get in the water is on Thursday, August 6th, in the afternoon. There's a 8 ft SSW groundswell rolling in with a very long 16-second period, and a light northwesterly cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is strong at 3543. That’s clean, powerful surf, but the size makes it one for experienced surfers only.

Friday, August 7th is a step down in quality. The morning has a bigger 10 ft SW swell, but a moderate 15 mph west wind has it looking messy and cross-shore. The afternoon is even worse with a cross-onshore wind. It’s marginal at best.

Things go completely off the rails for the weekend. Saturday, August 8th and Sunday, August 9th are a total washout. Massive swell hits 15 ft to 16 ft, but it’s being hammered by near gale-force winds. The combined energy erupts to 8393 and then 18040. This is not a paddle situation; the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. Avoid it.

Monday, August 10th through to Wednesday, August 12th stays big, with swell between 10 ft and 20 ft, but the wind is a constant problem—cross-onshore or cross-shore with a chop. The energy is high, but the quality is poor. The standout here is actually Monday afternoon (August 10th) and Tuesday morning (August 11th) have clean conditions, but the swell is over 8 ft, so it's for experts only, and the wind is still strong.

We start to see a glimmer of hope on Thursday, August 13th. The swell drops to 10 ft, still a bit of a cross-shore chop, but it’s more manageable. Friday, August 14th is a real highlight. The morning glass-off with a slight 3 mph north-easterly offshore wind and a 12 ft SSW groundswell (16-second period) is the best we’ve seen. The combined energy is 5501. That’s the window to aim for—clean, powerful, and offshore.

The real standout of the entire forecast, though, is Saturday, August 15th afternoon. The swell is a very surfable 7 ft from the SSW, with a 16-second period, and a gentle 9 mph east-northeasterly cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is 1997. It’s clean, glassy, and the conditions are excellent for experienced surfers. This is easily the best session on offer.

Sunday, August 16th and Monday, August 17th keep the quality up with 5 ft to 6 ft SW swells, clean offshore winds, and excellent conditions. The energy is moderate, but it’s a great run of clean, consistent surf.

Tuesday, August 18th looks promising again. The morning has a 8 ft SW swell with a 17-second period and a fresh 22 mph north offshore wind, and the afternoon jumps to 10 ft with a moderate offshore breeze. The combined energy is around 4000. This is a good, solid day for experienced surfers.

After that, Wednesday, August 19th through Friday, August 21st goes downhill. The wind swings back to the west and south-west, bringing onshore and cross-shore chop, making the surf messy and poor.

So, to wrap it up: the best windows are Friday morning, August 14th and Saturday afternoon, August 15th. If you can only get out once, go for the 15th.

Rusty.

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