Deadman's Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, looking at what's on the menu for us over the next couple of weeks. First up, we’ve got one spot on the radar, Deadman's, a reef break that’s exposed to the SW. The water temp is sitting at 57°F, which is about average for this time of year – nothing to shake a stick at.

The surf kicks off Monday the 17th with a nice little pulse. We’re seeing a combo of swells pushing through, with a combined wave energy of 421, that’s moderate but solid. The main swell is a clean 3 ft SSW groundswell with a long 14-second period, and with 5 km/h WNW winds going glassy, it’s going to be real clean. That Monday morning session is a proper standout for the first week. The water will be like glass, and the reef will be handling that long-period energy nicely, giving us some proper shaped waves. If you can get out there early, do it – it’s going to be good. Afternoon gets a bit more wind, but still surfable.

Tuesday the 18th sees the swell drop a touch to 2 ft in the morning with light cross-shore wind, nothing special, but the Tuesday afternoon comes back to life. Winds go glassy again, swell bumps to 3 ft, and the combined energy jumps to 507. That afternoon is another top-notch call for the week – clean lines, long period, just you and the ocean.

Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th see the swell holding around 3 ft with more cross-shore wind, which puts a little texture on the surface. The wave energy is building (up to 704 on Wednesday afternoon), which suggests more push, but the wind isn’t quite perfect, so it’s more of a "good but not great" situation. Friday the 21st drops off, with weaker 1 ft to 2 ft windswell and a shorter period, so don’t expect much.

Saturday the 22nd has a shift. Morning is a write-off with poor conditions, but the afternoon throws a curveball. We get a new 5 ft NW windswell with a raw 6-second period and clean cross-offshore wind. It’ll be weird on the reef because that short-period swell won’t wrap in clean, but it could be fun for some chop-hopping. Sunday the 23rd has a decent 4 ft NW swell lingering, and with zero wind in the afternoon, it’ll be glassy again, but again, that short period (8 to 9 seconds) will make it a bit sectiony on the reef. Still, if you want to get wet in clean water, it’s an option.

Now, if you can hold out, the real gem might be Monday the 24th. The swell drops to 2 ft, but it’s a long-period, 18-second SW groundswell, and the morning is glassy. The wave energy is at 522, which is moderate, but that long period will give us some really nice, lined-up waves on the reef – proper glassy peelers. That’s the highlight of the second week, no doubt. Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday the 26th are quieter with smaller 2 ft swell and more cross-wind, though Wednesday afternoon cleans up again with glassy conditions.

Towards the end of the run, from the 27th onwards, we get more energy but also more wind. Thursday the 27th afternoon sees a 6 ft NW windswell with 20 km/h cross-offshore wind. That’s raw and punchy, and it’ll be clean, but it’s a short-period wind swell. The wave energy is 594, so there’s grunt, but it’s not going to be as refined as those groundswell days. Friday the 28th drops back to 2 ft but with messy cross-shore wind. The last few days (29th to 1st September) see mostly 3 ft to 3 ft SSW swell, but the wind is consistently cross-shore or cross-on, chopping things up. The energy is high (over 600), but the quality just isn’t there.

So overall, if you’re paddling out, the standouts are Monday morning the 17th and Tuesday afternoon the 18th for the first week, and then Monday the 24th for a beautiful, glassy, long-period treat. Everything else is average or for the die-hards. Keep an eye on the forecast, but those are your best bets.

Rusty.

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