Deadman's Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s going on at Deadman’s.

Honestly, mate, this 16-day window is a tough one. There’s a lot of swell on the cards, but the wind just won’t play nice for most of it. We’re looking at a real battle between solid groundswell and a persistent cross to cross-onshore breeze that’s going to mess up the surface most days. The first few days are a write-off for a proper session, but things do get a little more interesting if you’re patient.

The water is a standout feature right now – it’s sitting at 63°F which is a massive 6°F warmer than usual for this time of year. That’s very unusual, so you can leave the thick spring suit at home.

We start off on Monday the 27th of July with a decent SW groundswell, around 3ft to 4ft with a super long period of 18 to 19 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy, giving good shaped waves, but the wind is a fresh cross-onshore, 9 to 19 mph, making it choppy and lumpy. The combined energy is moderate to strong (714 to 970), but the conditions are just poor. Not worth paddling out.

Tuesday the 28th is more of the same. The morning has a light cross-onshore wind (6 mph) and the swell holds at 4ft, 18 seconds, with moderate energy (876). The wave comment says “marginal,” and honestly, with that wind direction, it’s just not clean enough to get excited about. The afternoon gets worse with a stronger breeze.

Wednesday the 29th sees a shift. The swell drops to 3ft from the SW in the morning, still a long 16-second period, but the wind goes light and cross (6 mph). The energy is strong (1226), but the wave comment is still “marginal.” The afternoon brings a sudden change to a 7ft, 8-second windswell from the WNW, but the wind is 16 mph and cross-onshore. That’s poor and choppy – a total mess.

Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st are all about that short-period WNW windswell. Sizes range from 5ft to 7ft, but the period is a weak 8 seconds. The wind is light in the mornings but still cross or cross-onshore, so you get some ripples on the surface. The energy is moderate (370 to 872). It’s marginal at best, and the afternoon sessions are a no-go.

Now, the first real standout of the whole outlook arrives on Sunday the 2nd of August. The swell bumps up to 7ft from the WNW, period lengthening to 9 seconds. The wind in the morning is almost glassy – just 3 mph from the WSW, making it a light cross-shore. The combined energy is strong (858). This is the best window we’ve got. The surf will be a bit big for beginners, but for anyone with experience, the clean conditions and solid size make it the pick of the fortnight. The afternoon gets choppy again, so get in early.

Monday the 3rd of August and Tuesday the 4th offer similar marginal windows. The morning light cross-shore winds (6 mph) and swell around 5ft to 6ft from the WNW with a 9 to 10-second period give you a chance for a few clean ones if you’re keen. The energy is moderate (421 to 678). But it’s not a standout.

From Wednesday the 5th onward, the swell slowly fades. By the 8th and 9th of August, the swell drops to under 3ft, the energy is weak (82 to 144), and the wind is still cross-shore. It’s a flat spell. The very end of the forecast, around the 10th and 11th of August, shows a little bump back up to 4ft from the WNW, with a 9-second period, but the light winds in the morning are cross-shore, and the wave comment is once again “marginal.” It’s a weak end to a challenging period.

So, to sum it up: if you’re surfing Deadman’s, your best bet is the morning of Sunday the 2nd of August. That’s the one time the wind and swell line up for a clean, solid session. Everything else is a battle with the wind for a few so-so waves.

Rusty.

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