Fourth Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your board, we’re looking at Fourth Beach. It’s a spot for the advanced crew, and it’s pretty consistent, but we’re in for a bumpy ride over the next couple of weeks.

Right now, the water’s sitting at a pretty normal 62°F for this time of year. The problem is, we’ve got a lot of energy out there, but the wind is just wrecking it. For the first few days, we’re staring at a big, powerful SSW groundswell. The combined energy is massive, hitting 5285 (moderate to strong) on Monday morning, but it’s blowing a cross-shore wind at 15 mph, making it choppy and messy. That 10ft swell is too big for beginners, and with that wind, it’s just not fun for anyone. Monday afternoon and Tuesday stay poor; the wind picks up to 22 mph, and the conditions are lumpy and cross-onshore.

Wednesday the 9th and Thursday the 10th are a bit cleaner with a cross-offshore wind, but we’re still looking at a solid 8ft to 5ft groundswell. The energy is dropping, but the wind is still a fresh 22 mph breeze, so it’s just marginal. Not great, not terrible.

Now, Friday the 11th is where things get interesting. The swell drops to a more manageable 4ft, but the wind shifts to a clean offshore breeze from the NNE at 12 mph. The combined energy is still decent at 1423 (moderate). This is a solid window for the experienced surfer. The swell period is a long 15 seconds, which is proper groundswell, so it’ll have good shape and power. This is the standout of the first week. Friday afternoon stays clean with lighter winds, but the swell drops to 3ft.

Saturday the 12th starts clean with a 6ft SSW swell, but the wind is a side-offshore breeze. It’s rideable, but then Saturday afternoon brings a near gale from the west at 31 mph, turning it into a complete mess. After that, we get a mix of onshore and cross-shore winds through the weekend and into the next week, with swells between 5ft and 7ft. It’s all marginal at best.

Tuesday the 15th afternoon is another bright spot. The wind drops to a light 6 mph cross-offshore, and the swell is a clean 6ft from the SSW. The energy is moderate (1738), and conditions are clean. That’s a really good session for the advanced crew.

Looking further out, the second week gets wild. The swell is set to pump. On Friday the 18th, we’re looking at a massive 15ft SSW groundswell with a very long 17-second period. The combined energy is extreme at 16435. The wind is light and cross-offshore, so the conditions would be perfect, but the swell is just too big for this break. This is for experts only, and even then, it’s borderline. The same goes for the 20th, 21st, and 22nd of September, where we’re seeing 12ft to 15ft swells with clean winds. The energy is through the roof, but it’s simply too much for Fourth Beach to handle. It’s a shame, because the wind is perfect.

So, if you’re looking for a paddle, Friday the 11th morning is your best bet: clean, offshore, and a solid 4ft. Tuesday the 15th afternoon is a close second. For the rest of the window, it’s either blown out or too big. If you’re into kite surfing, those big, windy, choppy days might actually be your jam.

Rusty.

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