Deadman's Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Deadman's over the coming weeks. I’ll be honest with you, it’s a tough stretch ahead. We’ve got a long wait on our hands.

The first sniff of anything worthwhile doesn’t come until Thursday the 27th of August, and even then it’s only marginal. For over a week and a half straight, this place is a non-event. Most days are plagued by a persistent cross-shore wind, often blowing from the WSW at 6 to 16 mph, which keeps the surface messy with a chop. The swell is mostly small, weak, and disorganised, with a short period—not the kind of stuff that gets you out of bed.

Now, the first glimmer of hope, and I mean a tiny one, shows up on Thursday morning, August 20th. The swell bumps up just a touch to 2ft from the west with a period of 12 seconds. The energy is weak at 284, but the light 6 mph SW breeze creates a cross-shore wind that’s just light enough to keep the surface rippled rather than chopped up. It’s still a marginal call, but on a dead run like this, it’s as close as we get to a window. It won’t be great, but if you’re desperate, that’s your best early chance.

We then have to suffer through another week of poor surf and moderate breezes. The water temperature is sitting about average for the time of year, nothing wild to report.

The real standout, the one that actually gets a pulse going, is much further out. Mark your calendars for Sunday morning, August 30th. Finally, we see some light winds from the SSW making it cross-offshore. It will be clean. The swell comes from the SW at 3ft, but the period is a solid 16 seconds, meaning it’s a proper groundswell with some real energy behind it, clocking in at a strong 705. The period is long enough to shape up nicely, but at a beach-and-reef setup like Deadman's, it might break a little straight. Still, this is the best on offer by a long shot. It’s a morning session for the patient.

Right after that, on Monday morning, August 31st, we get a bigger pulse of 7ft from the WNW, but at 8 seconds it’s short period windswell. The combined energy is very strong at 1055, so there will be plenty of water moving, but the short period and cross-shore wind will keep it lumpy. It’s more of a power session than a clean session, best left for those on shorter boards.

So, to wrap it up: there’s a huge gap of poor conditions until a very marginal day on the 20th. The one to really target, if you can wait, is Sunday the 30th. It’s promising, but it’s a long way off, so don’t bank on it. Keep your eyes on the sky.

Rusty.

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