Fourth Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you right from the start. For the next week or so, it’s pretty grim. The only break on the radar is Fourth Beach, and for the first several days, the conditions are just ugly. Big swell, sure, but that’s not the whole story. We’ve got strong cross-onshore winds and lumpy, choppy surf making it a write-off until the second half of the window.

The first real flicker of hope comes in on Thursday, September 11th, in the morning. Fourth Beach gets a clean-up with a moderate offshore breeze from the NNE. The swell has dropped to a manageable 5 ft, but it’s a long-period groundswell coming from the SSW at 15 seconds. That means proper energy, nice lines, and longer waits between sets. Combined wave energy is moderate (1209). It’s not huge, but it’s clean. The water temp is about average for this time of year.

Friday, September 12th, in the morning is the best of the early period. Same break, Fourth Beach. We’ve got a 6 ft SW groundswell coming in at 17 seconds – that’s proper long-period energy. Winds are light cross-off from the NW, making conditions clean. The combined energy jumps to 1599, which is a solid moderate push. It’s a good call for a Saturday morning mission if you’re experienced.

Now, hold on to your boards, because Wednesday, September 17th, in the morning is a standout. Fourth Beach is firing. A solid 10 ft SSW groundswell with a very long period of 18 seconds is rolling in. The combined energy is a massive 5417 – that’s strong, powerful stuff. The wind is offshore from the N, keeping it clean. This is only for experts, though. Over 8 ft with that kind of power is not for the faint of heart. It’s a true standout session.

The following Friday, September 19th, in the morning is another great option. Fourth Beach again. An 8 ft SW groundswell at 12 seconds, with a clean light offshore breeze from the NE. Combined energy is 1838 – moderate to strong. This is a bit more manageable than the previous Wednesday, but still a solid, clean wave.

Then, Saturday, September 20th has a good run, with a 10 ft SSW groundswell at 16 seconds. The morning sees a cross-off breeze from the NNE, keeping it clean, and the afternoon goes fully offshore from the NNW. Combined energy is huge again at 4724 and 4494. This is another big-swell setup for experienced surfers, with clean conditions both sessions.

The very tail end of the window, on Tuesday, September 23rd, in the afternoon, is a wild card. The data shows a massive 13 ft SW groundswell with a 17-second period, and the combined energy is off the charts at 16761. The wind is light onshore from the S, but the report says the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. This is a serious, expert-only, maybe even dangerous situation. Kite surfers might be more into this than paddlers.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a washout. The standout windows are Wednesday the 17th morning, Friday the 19th and Saturday the 20th. These are the days to circle on your calendar. The rest is either too small, too windy, or too big and messy.

Rusty.

Read more