“It feels like there are a lot of waves coming through but you kind of have to sift through all the garbage to find the little gems.” Ace Buchan summed up the day with his post-heat interview. Indeed there was a lot of garbage at J'Bay on this the second last day of the waiting period. A weak, short period windswell wobbled and crumbled its way down the point with southeast winds coming over the back of it. Intermittent rain sqaulls added to the gloom.

Buchan patiently sifted and with two minutes to go scooped up his nugget to take the win. Kai Otton, who had led most of the heat, and Julian Wilson were relegated to Round 5.

It might've been ugly but that heat made one thing clear; when J'Bay is weak and crappy the goofys are back in the mix. With the waves being soft off the top it was an advantage to be top turning off your toes throwing your weight back down the face.

If Heat 1 highlighted the goofy advantage, Heat 2 showed how beachbreak specialists can thrive when J'Bay is serving up garbage. Adriano De Souza built an ugly muddy house - but a house no less - to defeat Wiggolly Dantas and Nat Young. ADS launched a tail high air rev that I thought would become today's WSL feature shot showing how 'contestable' the waves were. Alas it's nowhere to be seen.

So much for the 'Super Heat' between Kelly, Mick, and Gabs. With 15 World Titles amongst them it was the fella with the least, Gabs, who led from start to finish. It was another case of shitty conditions levelling the playing field. Fanning now takes on Keanu Asing in Round 5 and Kelly is up against an injured Michel Bourez, both would have to be considered runaway favourites if conditions prevail.

The last heat of the day saw Alejo Muniz continue his form topping Bourez and Asing. Neither Bourez or Asing could find the waves to compete while Muniz dialled them in the way he's done all contest long. Is it experience or is it luck? Asing dived for the line in the dying minutes but the wave flattened out and turned to garbage, a heat winning gem eluding him.

With just one day in the waiting period to go, they're going to have to run on Sunday no matter the conditions. Swellnet forecaster Ben Matson says that the devil winds that plagued conditions on Saturday may still be present early Sunday morning, but better conditions are expected throughout the day. "A shallow westerly change is forecast to move across the region mid-morning, which will certainly see wave quality improve," said Matson. "But without any strength in these westerlies, conditions will remain rather lumpy and sectiony along the point. As for surf, we'll see the expected groundswell fill in around 4-6ft throughout the morning. So there'll be more than enough size but don't expect classic Jeffreys lines".

J-Bay Open Round 4 Results:

• Heat 1: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 13.70, Kai Otton (AUS) 13.50, Julian Wilson (AUS) 7.77
• Heat 2: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 13.00, Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 12.57, Nat Young (USA) 8.77
• Heat 3: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 12.90, Kelly Slater (USA) 12.27, Mick Fanning (AUS) 9.94
• Heat 4: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 14.34, Keanu Asing (HAW) 14.04, Michel Bourez (PYF) 11.27