D and W Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, this is Rusty. Let’s be straight with you – the next 16 days out at D and W are looking like a long, flat spell for the most part. There’s a big gap of nothing from now right through to the end of the second week. The first real flicker of anything worth paddling out for doesn’t show up until the morning of Friday, 14 August, and even then, it’s pretty marginal. The overall pattern is one of persistent onshore and cross-onshore winds, tiny swell, and very low energy. It’s one of those stretches where you might be better off doing something else.

Thursday 30 July through to Thursday 13 August is a total write-off. Swell heights are mostly between 0.3 ft and 2 ft, with periods all over the shop – from a weak 5 seconds up to a few long-period pulses that still don’t bring any size. The combined energy is almost always in the double digits (24 to 100), which is weak to barely moderate. Winds are light but mostly onshore or cross-onshore, so the water’s got that little wind ripple on it. Every single session comes back as “poor surf conditions.” Not one scores a recommendation. It’s a long, dry run.

Now, there is one day that stands out – and it’s a long way off. On Friday, 14 August, the afternoon session shows a jump. The swell is 2 ft from the SW with a period of 15 seconds, which is a proper groundswell pulse. The combined energy hits 257 – that’s moderate-strong (257). Wind is a gentle breeze from the SW, still onshore, so it won’t be glassy, but the energy is there. D and W is a beach/jetty setup, sheltered, and best with swell from the NW. This SW swell is off its optimum direction, and with a long period like 15 seconds, it can make beach breaks close out a bit straight. Still, it’s the only real pulse in the whole window. The morning of that Friday has 3 ft from the W at 5 seconds (71 energy) – weak and short period, not worth getting excited about.

If you’re a beginner, that afternoon swell at 2 ft is fine for you. For experts, it’s small, but the long period might give a few fun runners if you pick your peak. Crowds are only “sometimes” an issue here, so it’s not a madhouse.

Water temperature on Thursday 30 July morning is 72°F, which is 7°F warmer than normal – that’s very unusual for this time of year. You’ll be in boardies or a shorty for sure.

It’s a bleak outlook, but for this area, blank runs like this are not unusual. The lone standout is the afternoon of Friday, 14 August – promising but a long way off, so keep an eye on it. Otherwise, leave the board in the car.

Rusty.

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