Number Fours Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what Number Fours is serving up over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it's a bit of a slow cooker. There's nothing happening at all right now, and the first real chance of a wave doesn't roll in until Friday the 28th of August, and even then, it's pretty average. We're looking at a clean, cross-off wind from the ENE at 22 mph, but the swell is tiny at 3 ft from the S, and the combined energy is only moderate (499). The water's sitting at 81°, which is about average for this time of year. Honestly, the conditions are poor, so this one is a skip.

The rest of that first weekend and into the start of the week is a write-off. Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th see the swell bump up to 5 ft - 7 ft, but it's all short-period, messy ENE windswell with a fresh breeze cross-off. The wave quality is poor to marginal at best. Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 1st of September are much the same story – a bit of size, but no shape.

Then we hit a bit of a gap. Wednesday the 2nd of September morning has a pulse of long-period S swell at 3 ft and a period of 16 seconds, but the energy is weak (471) and the conditions are rated poor. That's not enough to get excited about. The rest of that week and into the first few days of September sees the swell hanging around the 6 ft to 7 ft mark from the ENE, still with a fresh cross-off wind. The combined energy is starting to climb into the strong range (767-894), but the quality is still only marginal. It's clean, but the wind isn't doing us any favours for proper shape.

Now, here's where things get interesting. The standout window, and the only real highlight in this whole outlook, arrives on Friday the 4th of September. We start seeing a jump in quality. The swell pushes up to 6 ft from the ENE with a longer period of 11 seconds, and the combined energy is strong (1099). That's a proper groundswell pulse. The wind is still a cross-off from the NE at 19 mph, keeping it clean. This is your best bet for the whole run. It's a reef break, so it handles a longer-period swell well, and it's fairly consistent. Just a heads up, crowds are sometimes a factor here. Saturday the 5th holds similar size at 7 ft, but the period drops back to 10 seconds, and the energy stays strong (1174). It's still a good option, but Friday is the pick.

Sunday the 6th of September sees the swell hold at 8 ft from the ENE with a 9-second period, and the energy is very strong (1454). It's getting a bit big for beginners now. Monday the 7th stays solid at 8 ft. Both days have that cross-off wind keeping it clean.

Then, on Tuesday the 8th of September, we get a real treat. The wind swings around to a light offshore from the NNE at 16 mph. The swell is 8 ft from the ENE with an 8-second period and very strong energy (1206). This is the best wind condition we've seen all outlook. The waves will be glassy and clean. Later that afternoon, the wind shifts to a fresh offshore from the N at 22 mph, with the swell pushing 8 ft. This is expert territory size-wise, but if you've got the skills, the offshore wind on a reef break like Number Fours will be something special.

After that, things get a bit messy. Wednesday the 9th of September looks nasty with a near gale cross-off from the ENE and a risk of thunderstorms. The surf is up but the conditions are poor. Thursday the 10th calms down but the wind goes cross-shore, creating chop. From Friday the 11th onward, the wind turns onshore, the quality drops right off, and it's not worth paddling out.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a write-off. The real action is from Friday the 4th of September through to Tuesday the 8th of September. If I had to pick just one, I'd be looking at Friday the 4th for the best all-rounder, or Tuesday the 8th for those who can handle a bigger wave with clean offshore winds. The rest of the run is pretty forgettable.

Rusty.

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