Number Fours Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s have a look at what Number Fours is cooking up for the next couple of weeks.

Alright, the outlook for Number Fours is a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got some solid swell energy coming through, but the wind is going to be a persistent factor, mostly blowing from the east-northeast, which is a cross-offshore breeze here. That’s not the end of the world, but it’s not the clean glass we’d all love.

The action kicks off on Sunday, 26 July. The swell is a modest 4ft from the East, with a period of 14 seconds – that’s a proper long-period groundswell. The combined energy is a whopping 1222, so there’s plenty of power in the water. It’s a cross-off breeze, so the lines should be pretty clean. The water temperature is 80°F with a tiny anomaly, so it’s bang on average for this time of year. It’s a surfable day, but it’s not the full story.

The real standout, the one you’ve been waiting for, is Tuesday, 28 July. The morning brings a solid 7ft swell from the East, with a 13-second period. The energy is huge at 1605. The wind is a moderate cross-off from the NNE, keeping things clean. This is a big, powerful swell. 7ft is pushing above beginner territory, but for an intermediate surfer, this is where it gets good. I’d be looking at the Tuesday morning session. The afternoon bumps up to 8ft, but the wind freshens to 19 mph, making it a bit more of a battle.

Wednesday, 29 July is interesting. The wind finally swings to the SSW, giving us a proper offshore breeze at 6 mph. The swell drops to 7ft from the ENE, period 10 seconds. The energy is still strong at 930. This is about as clean as it’s going to get, but the shorter period means less push between sets. It’s a quality window, but the swell is a bit more jumbled.

After that, the wind sticks to a strong ENE breeze for the rest of the week and into the start of August, with the swell dropping into the 5ft to 8ft range. The period also drops to 8 seconds, which is short-period wind swell. The energy values are still moderate to strong, but the quality is mediocre. The wind is strong, blowing 19 to 28 mph. For a reef break like Number Fours, this setup is more interesting for the kite surfers than for us paddling. It’s going to be choppy and tough.

We hit a dry spell from around Friday, 31 July through to Saturday, 8 August. The swell is inconsistent, and the wind is relentless. The scores are poor, and honestly, it’s a blank run. The mornings of Tuesday, 4 August, show a bit of hope with a 6ft, 12-second groundswell, but the ENE wind is still moderate, and the energy is just 959. It’s a marginal call.

The final flicker of hope comes on Sunday, 9 August. We get a 7ft swell from the East, but the period is a low 7 seconds. The energy is moderate at 1004, but with a fresh 22 mph cross-off wind, it’s going to be a messy, choppy affair. Not the one to pin your hopes on.

So, the standout is definitely Tuesday, 28 July. The morning session, with that 7ft, 13-second groundswell from the East, and the clean NNE cross-off, is the best you’re going to get. The Wednesday morning offshore is a close second, but the swell is a bit smaller and shorter. After that, it’s a long wait for anything decent.

Rusty, signing off.

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