Depressions Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it – the next few days are a bit of a washout for Depressions. The forecast is pretty flat, with weak, short-period slop and onshore winds making a mess of things. We’ve got a long stretch of poor to marginal conditions ahead, so don’t expect much action until we get into the second week.

Let’s start with the here and now. Tuesday afternoon, July 14th, the water is sitting at 65°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. But the surf? Tiny. A 1ft swell from the SSW, with a 12-second period, and a cross-on wind from the WSW at 12 mph. The combined wave energy is weak at 120. It’s choppy and poor. Not worth paddling out.

Wednesday the 15th and Thursday the 16th don’t get much better. We see a bit of a bump in the swell on Wednesday afternoon, hitting 4ft from the WNW, but the period is a short, weak 7 seconds. The wind is cross-on, and the energy is still moderate at 250. Thursday morning shows a similar height, but with a 9-second period and light onshore wind. The energy climbs to 329 (moderate), but the forecast calls it marginal. Still not good.

Friday the 17th and Saturday the 18th are also a write-off. The swell drops back down, and we’re dealing with light cross-onshore winds. There’s a glimmer on Saturday afternoon, July 18th – a glassy, 2ft swell from the SW with a long 18-second period. The water is glassy, and the energy is moderate at 322. The forecast gives it a “good” rating, but it’s tiny. For a beginner at Depressions, this might be a fun little session, but for everyone else, it’s a stretch.

Sunday the 19th and Monday the 20th are a mixed bag. Monday morning, July 20th, offers another glassy window with a 2ft, 16-second SSW swell. The energy is moderate at 314, and the forecast says “expect good surf conditions.” It’s clean, but still small. The wind is glassy, so it’s your best bet in the first week if you’re desperate.

Then we hit a real gap. From mid-week, the 21st through the 24th of July, we’re stuck in a pattern of poor to marginal conditions. The swell stays around 2ft to 3ft, and the wind is consistently onshore or cross-onshore. The energy fluctuates between 286 and 810 (moderate to moderate-high), but the quality just isn’t there. A few days have a long period (17 seconds on the 24th afternoon), but with onshore wind, it’s not helping.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The real standout, and the only one I’d circle on the calendar, is Saturday, July 25th. The swell jumps dramatically. Saturday morning brings a 5ft swell from the S, with a 15-second period. The wind is light and onshore from the SW at 6 mph. The combined wave energy is a strong 1607. That’s proper energy. The forecast gives it a score of 3, which is the best we see by a long shot. This is big, long-period groundswell. It’s going to be powerful, with long gaps between sets. At a beach break like Depressions, that long period can make it break a bit too straight, but for the size and energy, it’s a serious session for experienced surfers. The water temp is still a touch warmer than normal. The afternoon sees a 5ft swell, but the wind picks up to a gentle cross-on, so the morning is the call.

Sunday the 26th and Monday the 27th drop off again. The 2ft to 3ft range is back, with a very long 19-second period, but the wind is onshore or cross-on, making it messy. The energy is still moderate to strong (474 to 644), but the quality is poor.

The last few days, the 28th and 29th of July, are marginal. The swell hovers around 2ft to 3ft, with a 16-17 second period and light onshore winds. The energy is moderate (370 to 536). A few windows might be worth a look if you’re a beginner, but nothing to write home about.

So, the bottom line: for the first nine days, you’re battling tiny, weak swells and onshore winds. The only real standout is Saturday, July 25th. The morning session with a 5ft, 15-second, strong-energy S swell is the best on offer. It’s clean enough with light winds, but it’s a big, powerful groundswell – experts only at that size. For a beginner, it’s a no-go. For everyone else, it’s the one to chase. The rest of the forecast is a waiting game.

Stay patient, and keep an eye on the sky.

Rusty.

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