Number Fours Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. The next 16 days at Number Fours are looking like a bit of a mixed bag, but there’s a couple of real beauties hiding in the second week if you’re patient.

Right now, the pattern is stubborn. We’ve got a persistent ENE wind blowing through the whole first week, keeping things choppy and cross-off. The swell is a consistent 6 ft to 7 ft but with a short, weak period of just 7 to 8 seconds, so the energy is all over the place. The combined energy readings are moderate (538 to 854), but the quality is just not there. From Thursday 9th July right through to the morning of Monday 20th July, the surf is either “poor” or just “marginal” at best. It’s a long, flat, and bumpy stretch – not worth paddling out for.

That said, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. The real standout here is the afternoon of Monday 20th July. The swell drops to 2 ft but the period jumps to a very long 19 seconds from the east. This is a proper groundswell, and the combined energy shoots up to 917 (moderate). The wind is still cross-off at 30 km/h, but that long period will wrap in nicely. This is the kind of window where Number Fours can turn on for intermediates. It’s a reef break, so the long period will actually work in its favour. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, so be ready for a few locals.

But the true best of the whole run is Tuesday 21st July. The morning shows 4 ft at 16 seconds from the east, with a combined energy of 1323 (strong) – that’s serious, grunty swell for this spot. The wind is cross-off at 30 km/h, but the water is clean. The afternoon keeps it going at 4 ft and 16 seconds, with energy still strong at 1091. This is the best on offer by a long shot. The swell direction from the east is a perfect match for this reef’s optimum SSE direction, and the water temp is around 79° which is about average for the time of year, so no need for a steamer.

After that, the rest of the window fades out with smaller, shorter-period junk from the 22nd onwards, with energy dropping off fast. The 23rd and 24th are basically write-offs.

Bottom line: wait for the afternoon of the 20th, and especially the 21st of July. That’s your window. Don’t bother before that unless you want to get frustrated.

Rusty.

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