Fourth Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming down the pipe for Fourth Beach.

We've got a classic setup here: a solid SSW groundswell running for most of the period, but the wind is gonna be the real character in this story. The water temp is sitting at 62°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first real window of opportunity kicks off on Saturday morning, the 25th of July. We've got a clean 5 ft SSW swell with a 12-second period, light offshore winds from the NNW, and the combined energy is sitting at a moderate 612. It's a good start, but the Saturday afternoon session is the true standout for the first week. The swell bumps up to a clean 5 ft, the wind goes light offshore from the north, and the energy climbs to 677. It's an advanced wave, so you'll need your wits about you, but it's going to be clean and fun.

Sunday the 26th is a write-off. A massive 28 mph cross-offshore wind on the morning of the 26th, then a 25 mph cross-shore in the afternoon, right into a 13 ft beast of a swell. That's just messy and dangerous. This pattern of strong, onshore wind continues right through Monday and Tuesday, with a 10 ft swell and cross-onshore winds making it lumpy and choppy. The combined energy hits 5618 on Monday morning which is a very strong, powerful ocean, but you can't surf it.

Now, Wednesday the 29th of July is where we get a second standout. The morning brings a clean 8 ft SSW swell, with a light cross-offshore breeze from the NNE. The energy is still a strong 2870, but the conditions are forecast to be excellent for experienced surfers. This is a solid, powerful wave.

Thursday the 30th is another great day. Light offshore winds from the north hold all day, with a 5 ft to 5 ft SSW swell. The period stretches to 15 seconds, a proper long-period groundswell, and the energy stays strong around 1500. This is a classic Fourth Beach day: clean, powerful, and lined up. Friday the 31st holds a similar swell at 7 ft to 8 ft, and the period gets even longer, hitting 18 seconds. That's a very long period swell, which will make it a bit more wally and harder to predict at a beach break, but the wind is light and variable, so it's still worth a look.

After that, the second week gets a bit patchy. The winds turn more onshore and choppy from the 1st of August through the 4th, but the swell stays solid. Sunday the 2nd of August afternoon is a bright spot, with a clean 6 ft SSW swell and a light cross-offshore breeze. The energy is a strong 1520, making for a good session.

The real fly in the ointment shows up around the 5th and 6th of August. We're looking at a massive 13 ft to 15 ft SSW swell with a very long period. The combined energy on the 5th afternoon is a whopping 8042, and on the 6th morning it's 7332. This is a huge, powerful ocean. The wind is favorable, but this swell is just too big for Fourth Beach. It's a strong, clean, dangerous wall of water, and only absolute experts with a death wish would even consider it. For the rest of us, it's a day to watch from the cliff.

The final days of the outlook, from the 7th to the 9th, see the swell dropping back down, but the wind remains mostly cross or cross-onshore, making the conditions marginal. The 9th of August afternoon sees a 12 ft SW swell with a 15-second period and a strong 5377 energy, but with a moderate cross-onshore wind, it's going to be a choppy, lumpy mess.

So, to sum it up: the best bets are the Saturday afternoon session on the 25th of July, and the Wednesday to Thursday window of the 29th and 30th of July. The first week of August is for the brave or the bored, but the 5th and 6th are definitely a "stay on the beach" situation.

Rusty.

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