Depressions Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me have a look at what's on offer locally over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with ya: it's gonna be a lean run here at Depressions. There's hardly anything to get excited about for a long stretch. We're looking at a big gap of almost no real surfable waves from the start of August all the way through to the end of the first week. The first week is pretty much a write-off.

The water temp is sitting at about 70°, which is a solid 7° warmer than normal for this time of year – that's very unusual, and you'll feel that tropical bathwater when you get in.

Alright, for the first few days, from August 1st through the 6th, it's pretty grim. We've got tiny swell, in the 1.0 ft to 3 ft range, mostly from the WNW at first then swinging SW. The period is short on those early days, around 8 to 9 seconds, meaning weak, crumbly waves. The wind is mostly onshore from the WSW or SW, and while it's light, it's just not helping. The combined wave energy is moderate in numbers, hitting 240 on the 2nd (240 energy), but the surf quality is rated as poor. There's nothing here for a surfer.

On the 7th of August, Friday morning, we get a little tease. The swell drops to 1 ft but the period jumps right up to 19 seconds – that's a very long period groundswell. The wind goes glassy with a light offshore from the SSW. That's the only time in the whole run we get truly clean conditions. The wave energy is moderate at 154. But unfortunately, the swell size is just too small to do anything with. It's surfable, but very ordinary.

From the 8th through the 13th, we're stuck in the same pattern. Tiny swell, 1 ft to 2 ft, mostly from the SSW or SW. Periods are long to very long, 14 to 20 seconds, which means long waits between sets and those long period swells at a beach break like this tend to just close out or be too straight. The wind is generally light and onshore or cross-onshore, keeping the surface bumpy. Combine that with the moderate energy readings (around 150 to 229 energy), and you're just looking at a lot of paddling for very little reward.

The 14th and 15th of August see the energy levels pick up a bit, with readings of 335 and 331 respectively, which is strong. The swell height finally bumps up to 2 ft to 2 ft, but it's still coming from the SSW and SW with a long period of 15 to 18 seconds. The wind stays stubbornly cross-onshore or onshore, making a mess of things. The reports call it marginal or poor.

Honestly, the only day that even comes close to being worth a look is the 16th of August. On Sunday morning, we get a 2 ft SSW swell with a 15-second period and light offshore wind from the SW. The energy is a strong 296. It's still small, but for this stretch, that's the best on offer. The wind will be clean, so you might find a little waist-high wave with some push if you are patient. It's still only for those who are keen to scratch around and are happy with small glassy conditions. Don't expect much.

So, there you have it. A long, quiet period for Depressions with only a couple of brief, marginal windows. The best bet is the 16th of August morning for a small, clean session. Otherwise, you might be better off finding another hobby for a couple of weeks.

Rusty.

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