Number Fours Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

Number Fours is a reef setup that’s exposed to the swell, so when it gets a clean line, it can really fire. This whole 16-day window is a bit of a mixed bag though. We’ve got a solid run of swell, but a lot of it comes wrapped in strong cross-offshore winds that keep the surface clean, but the conditions are often described as marginal. The first few days are a write-off for quality surfing, so we’re looking at a bit of a slow start.

The first real hopeful sign pops up on Sunday, July 26th. We’ve got a long period groundswell rolling in from the SSW at 3 ft, with a period of 16 seconds. That’s a proper long period, which will give the reef at Number Fours some nice, lined-up waves, but with that period, it can be a bit straight at times. The wind is a cross-off from the ENE at 19 mph, keeping things clean. The combined energy is strong (1245).

The standout of the whole run has to be Wednesday, July 29th. That morning, a big pulse of swell hits, with a solid 12 ft from the ENE, period of 11 seconds. The wind is light from the north-northeast at only 9 mph, a gentle breeze. That’s about as good as it gets for a reef – a big, powerful groundswell with light winds. The combined energy is massive (2727). This is definitely for experienced surfers only, as 12 ft is well into expert territory. The afternoon turns ugly, though, with a cross-onshore wind and choppy conditions, so the morning window is the one to chase.

After that, the swell drops back, but we get a few more days of manageable, clean surf in the 3 ft to 6 ft range. The wind stays cross-off, but it’s pretty strong, so the wave quality remains just okay. The period drops to 7-8 seconds, which is short period windswell, so the waves will be a bit weaker and more crumbly.

Then there’s a bit of a lull, with a few days of poor surf ratings. Things pick up again on Sunday, August 2nd, with a return of a long period, 16-second swell from the east at 4 ft. The combined energy is strong (1105). The wind is still a stiff cross-off at 22 mph, so it’ll be clean but a bit bumpy. This pattern of clean, modest swell continues through the first week of August, with the standout being a steady 6 ft pulse from the ENE on Wednesday, August 5th, with a decent 12-second period, and moderate cross-off winds. The combined energy is moderate (1023).

The very end of the forecast, on Saturday, August 8th, sees a tiny, long period SSW groundswell of 2 ft with a 19-second period, but the wind goes cross-shore, and the energy is weak (255). It’s a small, tricky day.

Overall, if you’re a confident surfer, the morning of July 29th is the absolute standout. It’s a big, powerful, clean swell. For the more consistent, everyday surfer, the period from August 2nd through to August 6th offers the best mix of clean, rideable surf with moderate crowds possible at Number Fours. The rest of the window is mostly about waiting for the right tide and the cleanest window.

Rusty.

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