Number Fours Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Number Fours has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, the surf is pretty marginal. The first day we see anything worth paddling out for is Wednesday afternoon, August 5th. We’ve got a 4ft swell rolling in from the ENE with a 9-second period, and the combined energy is sitting at 379 (moderate). The wind is a cross-off at 12 mph, which keeps things clean, but the wave comment says it’s marginal. The water’s a warm 81°, which is about average for this time of year.

Then we hit a dry spell. From Thursday morning, August 6th, right through to Monday morning, August 10th, the scores are all zeroes. Swell drops right off to 1ft, and even though a few longer-period swells (14 to 20 seconds) show up, the energy is low and the conditions are just poor. The wind stays a fresh cross-off, but it’s not enough to save it.

We start to see a little pulse again on Monday afternoon, August 10th, with a 2ft swell from the SSW at a very long 16 seconds, and the energy jumps to 454 (moderate). It’s still marked as poor. Tuesday, August 11th, gets a bit better – the afternoon shows a 3ft SSW swell, 14 seconds, and an energy reading of 511 (moderate). The score ticks up to a 2, but it’s still just a marginal call.

The real interesting window opens up around Wednesday, August 12th. We’ve got a 3ft swell from the S, with a long 18-second period, and the energy is pumping at 975 (approaching strong). The wind is a fresh cross-off from the ENE at 19-22 mph. It’s still considered marginal, but this is the best energy we’ve seen. That long-period S swell is a groundswell, which means it’s got grunt, but it might break a bit straight on a reef setup like Number Fours if the angle isn’t perfect. The clean conditions are a big plus.

After that, it gets messy. From Thursday, August 13th, through to Wednesday, August 20th, the swell builds but the wind strengthens. We see the swell climb from 4ft to a peak of 8ft on August 14th and 15th, coming from the ENE with a short 7-8 second period. The energy hits four digits – 1056 to 1106 (strong) – but the wind is a strong breeze at 25-28 mph, and the surf is consistently rated poor. At 8ft, that’s expert territory, and with the short period and powerful wind, it’s going to be a choppy, blown-out mess. Honestly, for a few days there, it’s looking more like a kite-surfing show than a paddle session.

The Standout: If you’ve got a window, aim for Wednesday afternoon, August 12th. That 3ft S swell with the 18-second period and clean cross-off wind is your best bet for a decent wave. It’s only a 1/10 score but don’t let that fool you – the energy is there, and the conditions are about as clean as we’ll see. The rest of the fortnight is a write-off or for the experts only.

Stay salty,
Rusty.

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