Depressions Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve gotta be straight with you—this is one of those outlooks where you might wanna save the wax for later. For the Depressions break, we’re looking at a pretty flat and lackluster run through the whole 16-day window. The water is sitting at 70°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year—a solid 7°F above average, so that’s a real standout for a wetsuit or rashie choice.

The pattern is grim from the start. Wednesday the 5th kicks off with weak 1ft to 1.0ft swell out of the southwest, and a light onshore breeze keeping things messy. The combined energy is barely ticking over at 123 (moderate energy), but with onshore wind it’s just poor. The rest of that day and into Thursday 6th is more of the same—tiny waist-high waves and cross-onshore winds, energy dropping to 85 and 98. Not worth paddling out.

Friday 7th morning, though, you get a flicker of hope. The swell bumps up to 1ft from the southwest, but the period stretches to 19 seconds—classic long-period groundswell. For a beach break like Depressions, that long period can mean the waves break too straight and lack shape, but the morning goes glassy with a slight SSE air. The combined energy hits 203 (moderate energy), and the wave comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” It’s not great, but if you’re desperate, that’s your best window. Still, not a standout.

From there, it’s a slog. The whole second week—through to Wednesday 20th—is a repeating loop of 1ft to 2ft swell, mostly from the southwest or south-southwest, with onshore or cross-onshore winds. Energy fluctuates between 115 and 400, but it’s always “poor surf conditions” or “marginal.” The consistency is fair, but that doesn’t mean quality.

The only other notable moment comes Thursday 20th afternoon: the direction swings to the west-northwest and the swell jumps to 5ft, but the period craters to just 6 seconds. That’s short-period, weak windswell with energy at 360 (moderate energy). With onshore wind, it’s marginal and likely messy for paddle surfing. Honestly, if you’ve got a kite, the setup looks more interesting than trying to paddle into that lumpy, short-period stuff.

There are no standout days here. Even the biggest swell at 5ft is too short period and onshore to get excited about. The best on offer is that glassy Friday morning, but with 1ft and a long period that doesn’t suit the break, it’s only for the truly keen. Crowds are possible at Depressions, but with conditions this poor, you’ll likely have it to yourself.

Rusty.

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