Number Fours Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

Honestly, I’m looking at a rough stretch ahead. The first real chance to even talk about surfing comes on Wednesday afternoon, the 12th of August, and even then it’s not a day to get excited about. We’ve got a solid south swell rolling in at 3 ft, but the wind is a cross-off from the ENE at 22 mph, which is just too strong. That’s shredding the surface and making it a real battle. The water is sitting at 81°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t need a thick wetsuit.

Thursday the 13th offers a bit more size, pushing 3 ft to 4 ft from the S with a nice long period of 15-16 seconds, but that ENE wind is still howling at 19-22 mph. The wave energy is moderate (840-937), but the wind is the story here, and it’s a bad one. It’s just too messy.

Things go downhill from there. Friday the 14th sees a shift to a short-period, onshore ENE windswell at 7 ft to 7 ft with a period of only 8 seconds and the same nasty cross-off wind. The energy picks up a bit (937-1013), but it’s a washing machine. Saturday the 15th is a write-off – we’re looking at 12 ft to 13 ft of short-period, wind-affected slop with near gale-force winds (31 mph). The energy is strong (1829-2563), but that’s just raw power, no shape. This is kite-surfing territory, not a day to be on a paddle board unless you’re a masochist.

Sunday the 16th is still big at 12 ft early, dropping to 8 ft in the afternoon, with a risk of thunderstorms and the same strong ENE wind. The energy is very strong (2466-1671). It’s still a mess.

After that, we get a slow, painful decline. The swell drops, but the wind barely lets up. From Monday the 17th all the way through the end of the period on the 27th of August, the surf is marginal at best. You’ll see pulses of 2 ft to 4 ft of mixed swell, mostly from the SSW, with weak to moderate energy (285-779). The wind is a constant cross-off from the ENE, ranging from 12 to 19 mph. There are a few brief windows of cleaner conditions, but the swell is too small and the period is too long for the beach break, making it break straight and mushy.

The only real “standout” in this whole 16-day window isn’t really a standout at all. The best look you get is possibly on the mornings of the 25th or 26th of August, over a week away. You might see 3 ft to 4 ft from the SSW with a period of 14-16 seconds, and the wind is a moderate 16-19 mph. The energy is moderate (577-779). It’s still a cross-off wind, but it’s the smallest wind we’ll see on a day with any size. It’s a long-shot, promising but very uncertain. Don’t book the day off.

Honestly, the best advice I can give for Number Fours is to take a break. The winds are relentless, and the swell is either too small, too big, or too short-period. It’s a bleak run, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.

Rusty.

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