Depressions Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. This is Rusty.

Honestly, the next couple of weeks look pretty grim around here. There’s no proper surf on the cards for a good while, and even when the swell does start to push through, it’s going to be messy. The first solid stretch of waves I can see kicks off around Monday the 4th of August, but we’re dealing with small, weak, and wind-affected stuff for days after that.

We’ll start with Depressions. It’s a beginner-friendly spot that’s fairly consistent, exposed to the WSW, and the water is sitting at 70° – that’s a full 7° warmer than usual, so it’s swimming-pool warm. Nice for a paddle but not for the waves. The swell through the first week is tiny, mostly around 1 ft to 3 ft from the W or SW, with periods all over the place. On the 3rd and 4th, the wind is onshore and the combined energy is moderate at best (183 to 202). It’s poor surf. Tuesday the 5th sees a 1 ft swell from the SW with a 14-second period – that’s a long period, but with onshore wind and low energy (82), it’s a tease. Thursday the 7th has a 1 ft swell from the SSW with a 19-second period – very long period, and combined energy is 189, but again, it’s poor surf with no quality. By Saturday the 9th, we get a 2 ft S swell, 15-second period, but cross-onshore wind kills it.

There’s a gap here – from the 3rd right through to the 10th of August, there’s basically nothing worth paddling out for. The 10th has a brief flicker: Monday morning shows 3 ft from the WNW, 8-second period, with cross-shore wind and combined energy of 226 – that’s moderate. But it’s still rated as poor. The afternoon sees a marginal call (score 1) with 2 ft from the SSW, 13-second period, and energy up to 293. It’s still not good.

The middle of the second week, from the 11th to the 14th, it’s more of the same: tiny swells, onshore or cross-onshore wind, and combined energy between 185 and 280. The 13th Thursday morning is the only other marginal moment (score 1) with 2 ft from the SW, 16-second period, and onshore wind.

Now, the last few days of the forecast start to get a bit more interesting, but for the wrong reasons. On the 16th of August, Sunday afternoon, the swell jumps to 5 ft from the WNW with a short 6-second period, and combined energy hits 424 – that’s strong energy. But the wind is cross-onshore, so it’ll be choppy and messy. By the 17th of August, Monday morning, we’ve got 5 ft from the WNW, 7-second period, energy at 405. The afternoon sees 7 ft from the same direction, 7-second period, and energy skyrockets to 577 – that’s very strong wave energy. That’s a big, short-period swell for the area, and with cross-onshore wind, it’s going to be a washing machine. At over 8 ft, it’s expert-only territory. The 18th of August, Tuesday, drops back to 4 ft, 8-second period, with a marginal call in the morning (energy 458), but still onshore wind.

Bottom line: there are no standout sessions in this forecast. The only days that even flirt with being worth a look are the 10th of August afternoon and maybe the 13th of August morning, but they’re marginal at best. The big swell on the 16th and 17th is too short-period and wind-affected to be quality. Given the consistent onshore and cross-onshore wind pattern, and the fact that it’s a beach setup, this stretch might actually be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Stay patient, mates. The forecast can always change.

Rusty.

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