Surf Forecasts:
Deadman's surf forecast from 29 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 30 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 16s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 11AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 18s period, SSW swell with 887 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 30 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 16s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Deadman's this week:
The surf forecast for Deadman's over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 30) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 10s. Another secondary swell of 1.2m and 7s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Deadman's in the next 16 days are 1.2m 18s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 11AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Sun 30th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Sun 30th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 11AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Deadman's over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Deadman's over the next couple of weeks. Straight up, this isn't a window for big hero missions. We're looking at a long, drawn-out run of small, inconsistent, and often messy surf, with just a few rare windows where things line up for a decent session.
The pattern is pretty clear: we kick off with a pulse of moderate energy (989 to 1038) that’s already dropping away, and then we’re in for a long stretch of tiny, fading swell with a lot of cross-shore or onshore wind messing things up. The water temp is sitting at 59°, which is about average for this time of year.
For the first few days, from August 29th through September 1st, the swell sticks around 4ft down to 3ft. It’s a long-period groundswell (14 to 18 seconds) from the SSW, which is a great direction for Deadman's reef, giving it some shape. But the wind is all over the place—mainly cross or cross-off from the NW and NNW. Saturday afternoon on the 29th cleans up nicely with a cross-off breeze and a moderate 19 mph wind, and the energy is moderate (1038). That’s the best bet for the short term, offering a clean 4ft wave. After that, it’s a slow slide into smaller, choppier conditions.
We hit a serious lull from the afternoon of September 1st right through until the morning of the 3rd. The swell drops to ankle-snappers (2ft to 3ft) and the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore. The combined energy plummets to just 268 to 422, so you’re fighting for scraps. Not worth paddling out.
Now, Thursday morning September 3rd is where we get our first real standout. The morning comes in glassy with a light air, and the swell bumps up to 3ft SW groundswell at a proper 19 seconds. The combined energy ramps up to a solid 1027, and the text says "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers." This is the kind of clean, lined-up reef wave that Deadman's is known for when it’s small. But be warned, this spot is *inconsistent*, so this window is a rare gem. After that, the wind turns on in the afternoon and it gets messy again.
The rest of the first week and into the second is more of the same: small to tiny swell, mostly cross-shore winds, and combined energy bouncing between 258 and 1418. Nothing really lights up until we get to Tuesday September 8th afternoon. We get a glassy, calm session with a tiny 2ft SSE swell, but the energy (683) and the text say "expect very good surf conditions." It’s small, but it will be dead clean.
The next clear opportunity is on Wednesday September 9th. The swell is the biggest we’ve seen at 5ft from the NW, but it’s only 12 seconds. The morning is a bit bumpy, but the afternoon turns glassy again. The combined energy is moderate (968), and the text says "expect very good surf conditions." That afternoon is your second standout for the whole outlook.
Into the second week, things stay small but we get some beautiful glassy windows around the 10th and 11th of September with clean 3ft SSW groundswell. The energy is moderate (823 to 883), and it will be a fun, uncrowded reef session if you’re keen on a log or a fish. The 11th afternoon is especially clean with glassy conditions.
After that, it fades away again to tiny 2ft to 2ft surf by September 13th. The glassy conditions on the 13th morning are nice, but the swell is barely there.
So to wrap it up: the two best windows are Thursday morning September 3rd for a clean 3ft SW groundswell, and Wednesday afternoon September 9th for a clean 5ft NW swell. Everything else is small and requires patience and low expectations. The reef is protected from a lot of wind, but with the swell this inconsistent, don’t expect a wave count. For the size, it's not too big for beginners on the 3rd, but the 9th’s 5ft might be pushing it for learners. The 9th is fine for intermediates.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Sat afternoon, min 11°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Sat afternoon, calm by Mon night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Wed night. Very mild (max 18°C on Thu afternoon, min 11°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | NW 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | S 13 | S 12 | SW 19 | WNW 10 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
887 | 877 | 627 | 733 | 546 | 447 | 400 | 325 | 210 | 198 | 154 | 151 | 249 | 156 | 214 | 513 | 361 | 553 | 547 | 569 | 505 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | off | on | on | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:02PM1.71m | 00:55AM1.76m | 1:28PM1.78m | 1:42AM1.66m | 1:56PM1.84m | 2:34AM1.53m | 2:28PM1.89m | 3:33AM1.39m | 3:05PM1.92m | 4:47AM1.26m | 3:51PM1.93m | 6:22AM1.19m | 4:51PM1.92m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:54PM0.44m | 7:10AM0.23m | 7:37PM0.33m | 7:39AM0.38m | 8:23PM0.24m | 8:09AM0.54m | 9:17PM0.17m | 8:43AM0.71m | 10:19PM0.12m | 9:24AM0.86m | 11:29PM0.07m | 10:20AM0.98m | 00:44AM0.02m | ||||||||
6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | |
— | 7:52 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:43 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 20 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 15 |
Feels °C | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | NW 8 | SSW 16 | NW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 7 | SSW 14 | NW 10 | NW 10 | NW 9 | NW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | NW 10 | NW 10 | S 13 | NW 9 |
887 | 877 | 627 | 241 | 546 | 227 | 151 | 93 | 210 | 102 | 117 | 88 | 81 | 94 | 151 | 293 | 361 | 348 | 250 | 324 | 247 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 9 | S 10 | SSW 16 | W 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | NW 7 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 18 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 13 | S 13 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 |
17 | 15 | 8 | 733 | 10 | 405 | 400 | 325 | 47 | 198 | 154 | 151 | 249 | 156 | 190 | 221 | 163 | 345 | 411 | 569 | 505 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 11 | — | W 12 | W 11 | S 9 | S 9 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 19 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SW 18 | SSW 12 | WSW 5 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | W 15 | S 12 |
20 | — | 11 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 14 | 58 | 60 | 50 | 111 | 89 | 18 | 214 | 513 | 248 | 553 | 547 | 17 | 228 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 6 | NW 6 | NW 7 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 10 | NW 9 |
65 | 146 | 135 | 435 | 364 | 447 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 407 | 430 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 195 | 385 | 2 | 192 | 385 | 1 | 257 | 195 | 1 | 68 | 1 | 1 | 120 | 47 | 1 | 1 | 385 | 2 | 210 | 695 | 2 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Humboldt County | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Deadman's Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Deadman's provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Deadman's can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Deadman's surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Deadman's) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Deadman's may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Deadman's is 86 km (53 miles) from Eureka. If you plan a vacation in Humboldt County, look for hotels and other accommodation in Eureka. Eureka has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











