Deadman's Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for Deadman's over the next couple of weeks. It's a bit of a slow burn, but there are a couple of sessions that could be worth paddling out for.

The overall pattern is a long run of small, clean, but inconsistent waves. The water temperature is sitting at 55°F which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The real standout, and the only time I'd be racing to get the board, is Friday, July 24th. The afternoon session is looking special. We've got a solid 3ft SW groundswell rolling in with a very long 24-second period – that's some serious energy from deep water (combined energy of 1085). The wind goes glassy, which is a major positive at this exposed reef. It's going to be clean, powerful, and walled-up. The only thing to keep in mind with that period is that it might break a little quick and straight, but on a reef like Deadman's, it should be a cracker. This one is for the experienced crew only, as the combination of power and a reef setup demands respect.

Leading up to that, the week is a bit of a tease. The Sunday, July 19th morning has some small 3ft WNW swell but the wind is onshore, so it'll be messy. The Monday, July 20th is promising with glassy conditions in the morning and afternoon, but the swell is tiny at 2ft to 3ft. It's a good time for a longboard if you're desperate, but not a standout.

After that Friday highlight, the following week drops off. The swell sticks around but the wind becomes a problem. From Saturday, July 25th through to Thursday, July 30th, the cross-shore winds pick up, making things lumpy. The combined energy is still moderate to strong (between 1139 and 1523), but the quality is just not there. It's a lot of bumpy, washed-out lines. The Thursday, July 30th afternoon sees a shift to a short-period 5ft NW windswell, but with a period of only 8 seconds, it's going to be a bumpy, unorganized mess. That's not for paddling; that's kite-surfing territory if you're into that sort of thing.

The last few days of the run, from Friday, July 31st into the first week of August, are a fade-out. We're back to tiny, clean waves with glassy periods on the Friday, July 31st afternoon (2ft) and Saturday, August 1st afternoon (2ft). The energy is dropping fast (combined energy around 310 to 398). It's a very marginal end to the outlook.

Bottom line: The best on offer is undoubtedly the glassy afternoon of Friday, July 24th with that long-period groundswell. Nothing else in the 16-day window comes close. The rest is either too small, too windy, or too inconsistent to get excited about. Keep an eye on the forecast, but don't expect much.

Rusty.

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