Depressions Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s heading our way.

Honestly, it’s a pretty grim outlook for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a long, flat stretch ahead with barely anything worth paddling out for. The first real chance of anything decent doesn’t show up until the middle of the second week, so don’t be in a rush to wax up.

The first sniff of surfable energy comes right at the start, but it’s a tease. On Saturday, August 1st, we’ve got a tiny 3 ft swell from the WNW with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is weak at 281, and the wind is blowing onshore from the WSW at 6 mph. It’s a messy, blown-out setup. The break is Depressions, which is a beginner spot, fair-consistent, and gets a bit crowded sometimes. The water temperature is a very unusual 70°, a massive 7° warmer than normal for this time of year. It’s not worth the paddle.

From there, it’s a dead zone. The entire first week and into the second week is full of poor surf conditions. The wind stays onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell is tiny, mostly under 2 ft, with periods all over the place. The combined energy stays low, mostly under 200, until we start seeing some longer-period pulses from the SSW. Even then, the scores are zero.

The first real glimmer of hope arrives on Friday, August 14th, and Saturday, August 15th. The swell picks up a little, with a 2 ft to 2 ft SSW swell, and the period stretches out to a very long 18 seconds. That’s groundswell energy, and the combined energy jumps to 385 on Friday afternoon and 366 on Saturday morning. Still, the conditions are marginal. But hold on.

The standout of the entire forecast is Saturday afternoon, August 15th. It’s the only session that gets a thumbs up. The wind goes glassy, with a 2 ft SSW swell at a 16-second period. That long period will wrap nicely into points and reefs, and with glassy conditions, it’ll be clean. The combined energy is a solid 356. Now, this is a long period swell, so it’ll be a bit harder to hold position at a beach break, but for a beginner spot like Depressions, it’s a rare treat. Expect good surf conditions. That’s your one shot.

So, to sum it up: you’re looking at a long wait. The first week is a total write-off. The second week shows a little more pulse, but the only truly worthwhile session is that Saturday afternoon on the 15th. If you’ve been waiting, wait for that window. After that, it drops back off into the doldrums.

Rusty.

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