Number Fours Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Number Fours, a reef break. The water's sitting at 81°F right now, which is bang on average for this time of year – nothing unusual there.

Honestly, the next few days are a bit of a write-off. We've got some swell, but the conditions are just not playing ball. The wind is a stubborn cross-off from the ENE, blowing at 19 mph, and it's making things messy. The surf is there, around 4 ft to 7 ft from the east, but the quality is poor. It’s just not coming together. You'll be battling a stiff breeze for a wave that's not worth the fight. This stretch of poor surf runs from the 4th right through to the 6th.

Saturday the 7th starts to look a bit more interesting, but it's a bit of a mixed bag. The morning shows a 7 ft swell from the southwest with a 14-second period, carrying a solid moderate energy (3372). The wind is a straight cross-shore, not ideal but not terrible. It’s worth a look first thing. But then the afternoon turns nasty with a risk of thunderstorms and a 8 ft southwest swell (4835 energy) – that’s strong wave energy, but it’s a cross-onshore chop and a big stormy mess. That’s for the experts only, if anyone's silly enough to go out.

The whole of the next week, from the 8th to the 13th, is a real struggle. The wind stays on it, and the surf is either too small, too choppy, or just plain poor. The combined swell energy drops right off, and we’re looking at a lot of days with poor to marginal conditions. It’s a proper lull.

Now, keep your eyes on Monday the 14th. The morning has a 7 ft swell from the east-northeast, and the wind drops right back to a gentle 9 mph breeze. The forecast says "expect very good surf conditions" – that’s a standout. The combined energy is moderate (643), and with that light wind, it should be clean. This is the best bet on offer for the next fortnight.

After that, the swell drops right back to tiny 2 ft to 3 ft waves from the south-southwest. The period gets long, up to 21 seconds, which is a proper groundswell, but there’s just not enough height to do anything with it. The wind stays a firm cross-off, so it’ll be clean but tiny.

Hold on, though. Towards the end of the run, on Saturday the 19th, we get a real glimmer of hope. The afternoon shows a 7 ft east-northeast swell with a 9-second period, and the wind drops to a whisper – just 3 mph. It’s described as "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers" (1180 energy). The swell direction matches the optimum for this reef, and the wind is light and cross-off, so it’s going to be glassy. It’s a long way out, so don't book the time off just yet, but mark it in your calendar. That’s the one to watch.

Rusty.

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