Depot Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is a tough one to call upfront. The long-range outlook for Depot Beach is a real mixed bag — a long, quiet stretch with barely a ripple, then a sudden pulse of proper swell way out there. You’ve gotta be patient for this one.

The water temperature is sitting at 62°F with a tiny anomaly of 0.5°F, so it’s about as average as it gets for the time of year. Nothing to cry about.

First bit of action doesn’t even show up until Sunday, August 2nd. That afternoon we’ve got a 4ft SSE swell pushing in with a 12-second period. The wind is a light cross-shore from the north, but the energy is only moderate (564). It’s described as marginal, so not a standout. The next morning, Monday, August 3rd, is clean little 3ft from the SE with a decent 12-second period and a cross-offshore breeze, but the wave height drops off a cliff and the energy is weak (179). Not worth suiting up for.

And then the real drought hits. From Tuesday, August 4th, right through to around Wednesday, August 12th, it’s a near-total write-off. Most days show swell under 3ft, energy readings in the double digits, and a lot of onshore or cross-onshore winds. There are a couple of glassy windows on the morning of Thursday, August 6th (5ft S swell, 9-second period, glassy) and again Friday, August 7th (4ft S, glassy), but the swell is short period and the energy is only moderate (389 and 210 respectively). The vibe is more “splash around” than “surf.” It’s a good stretch for the local kite crew if you’re into that, but for paddle surfing, it’s a hard pass.

Now, hold onto your board. The real story starts cooking on Friday, August 14th. The morning pushes 6ft of NE swell with a 9-second period, and the wind is a clean cross-offshore from the southwest. The energy ramps up to strong (496). That’s just the warm-up. Saturday morning, August 15th, is the first true standout. We’re looking at 6ft of S swell with a 12-second period, a glassy cross-offshore breeze from the SSW, and the energy is very strong (1043). The direction is a near-perfect match for the SE optimum. This is a proper groundswell, long period, pushing into an exposed beach. It’s going to have some serious power, so leave the foamie at home — this is for experienced surfers. The sets will be clean and well-shaped.

But the absolute best of the whole window is Sunday morning, August 16th. Glassy, dead calm, 6ft of S swell at a long 13-second period, with an energy reading of 1263. That’s very strong. The swell direction is almost exactly the optimum. This is a classic groundswell hitting an exposed beach, and with glassy conditions, it’s going to be epic. The afternoon holds clean too, with a light offshore and 6ft of S swell. If you can only pick one session, this is it. The Monday morning of the 17th still has some clean, glassy 4ft S swell running, but it’s a drop-off in size and energy (502).

Bottom line: Depot Beach is a ghost town for the first week and a half. Then the 15th to the 17th of August deliver the goods. The 16th is the pick of the lot — glassy, solid groundswell, and very strong energy. It’s a long way out, so keep an eye on the charts, but it’s a promising one.

Rusty.

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