Fourth Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll level with ya—this stretch isn’t about small, friendly waves. We’ve got a big, powerful run of south-southwest swell hitting Fourth Beach, and for the most part, it’s gonna be a whole lot of ocean that’s only for the experienced crew. The water’s sitting at about 62°, which is pretty average for this time of year, nothing wild there.

The action kicks off on Saturday the 11th of July, and right from the start, it’s pushing 8ft of SSW swell with a period of 11 seconds. It’s a bit of a messy, cross-on wind situation, so the first afternoon is more about watching than paddling. The combined wave energy is already strong at 1741, and things only ramp up from there.

Sunday the 12th sees the swell jump to 10ft with a very long 16-second period, and the energy reading blows up to 5309. The wind is a cross-shore mess, and by the afternoon it’s a full 12ft with 15 seconds and a strong cross-on chop—honestly, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on those days.

Now, Monday the 13th of July is where it gets seriously big—13ft of SSW groundswell with a 17-second period, energy at 8001. That’s expert territory only, and even then, the wind is still messy cross-shore. The break is exposed, and with period that long at a beach setup, it’ll be breaking a bit too straight and heavy.

The real standout window hits Tuesday the 14th of July. Tuesday morning is clean, with light offshore wind from the north at just 10 km/h, and a solid 8ft of SSW swell rolling in at 15 seconds. The energy is still high at 3118, but that offshore wind is gonna clean it right up. This is the pick of the first week—for experienced surfers only, but the quality is there. Crowds are a possibility, so keep an eye out.

Wednesday the 15th offers a chance too, with the swell dropping to 6ft and a 14-second period. The morning wind is a fresh offshore at 30 km/h, making for clean faces, but the energy drops to 1238. The afternoon gets even better with a gentle offshore and 5ft conditions at 1515 energy—this is the best smaller-wave window for the more advanced crew.

The second week stays big and bumpy. Thursday the 16th has 8ft and 16-second swell with fresh offshore wind—clean but heavy. The pattern holds through to the next weekend. Sunday the 19th of July sees 10ft again, and by Monday the 20th we’re back to 13ft of SSW swell with a glassy afternoon—calm as a lake, but that wave size is pure muscle. Tuesday the 21st is 10ft, Wednesday the 22nd drops to 7ft, but the wind is mostly side or cross-on.

Thursday the 23rd of July is another massive day: 13ft with a 17-second period and offshore wind. That’s for the hardcore only. Friday the 24th stays big at 12ft. The final days of the outlook, Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th, are either rainy and choppy or still oversized at 12ft with cross-on wind. Overall, this is a long, solid run of big swell—if you’re experienced and pick your windows, Tuesday the 14th and Wednesday the 15th are your best bets. Otherwise, it’s a lot of raw power.

Rusty.

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