Depot Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Depot Beach. We’re looking at a pretty drawn-out, quiet start here, but the back half of the window has a real standout session that’s got my blood pumping. The water temp is sitting at 64°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, so you might get away with a slightly thinner steamer.

First up, Friday the 7th of August afternoon is a write-off—tiny 2ft SSE swell, onshore wind, weak energy (85), and the files call it poor. No point paddling out. Saturday the 8th morning has a glassy 1ft, but it’s so small and weak (74) that it’s barely surfable; just a knee-high dribble. That afternoon, the wind swings cross-on and the swell is a messy 2ft from the NE with a short 7-second period—no good.

Sunday the 9th is a no-go. Morning sees a 3ft NE windswell with a 6-second period (123 combined energy), but it’s cross-shore and lumpy. Afternoon gets bigger at 5ft, but the wind is up to 16 mph cross-shore and the quality is poor. You’re better off on the beach with a coffee.

Monday the 10th brings a bit more size—7ft ENE swell in the morning (758 energy) and 6ft NE in the afternoon (628 energy)—but the wind is a fresh 19 mph cross-offshore. The files call it marginal, and with that much wind, it’d be a battle. Tuesday the 11th morning is the first real glimmer: a clean 3ft S swell with 10-second period and light offshore wind from the WNW (324 energy). The files say “expect good surf conditions,” and I’d say that’s your best bet for the first week—small but clean and fun.

From Tuesday afternoon through to the end of the third week, it’s mostly a desert. Wednesday the 12th, Thursday the 13th, Friday the 14th, Saturday the 15th, Sunday the 16th, Monday the 17th, Tuesday the 18th, and Wednesday the 19th all show poor or marginal surf with small swell, onshore winds, or choppy conditions. There’s a brief moment Thursday the 20th morning with a 3ft SSE groundswell and a long 13-second period (353 energy) and light cross-shore wind, but it’s called marginal, and the afternoon gets ruined by a 16 mph cross-onshore. Friday the 21st sees a glassy 2ft SSE swell (105 energy) in the morning—surfable but very ordinary.

Then, Saturday the 22nd of August. This is the one. Morning: 8ft S swell, 8-second period, glassy conditions, and a massive 773 combined energy. The files say “expect very good surf conditions” with a score that screams standout. That’s a lot of power, and with the long period, it’ll be a groundswell—best for the points and reefs, but at Depot Beach, it might be a bit straight for the beach break. Still, glassy and 8ft? That’s expert territory, but it’s clean. Afternoon: 12ft S swell, 9-second period, 1902 combined energy—huge, but the wind goes cross-onshore and the files note it’s predicted to be too big for this break. So lock in that Saturday morning session; it’s the clear standout, though it’s a week and a half away, so keep an eye on the forecasts.

In summary, there’s a long gap of pretty average surf from the 7th to the 21st, with Tuesday the 11th morning being the only solid call in that stretch. Then Saturday the 22nd morning is the absolute gem—big, clean, and powerful. Don’t sleep on it.

Rusty

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