Depressions Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here.

Let’s be straight with you – the next couple of weeks at Depressions aren’t looking like anything to get excited about. There’s a long stretch of ordinary to poor conditions on the cards, with hardly any proper windows of clean surf. You’ll want to pick your moments very carefully, because most of what’s on offer is messy or just too small to be worth the paddle.

Right now, Friday August 28th has some small swell – 4 ft out of the WNW – but the cross-on wind from the west at 9 mph is putting a chop on it. The combined swell energy is moderate at best (201). Water temp is sitting at 71°, which is much warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s more than 7° above average, so you won’t need a thick wetsuit. But the surf is poor, with that short period (5 seconds) and messy wind adding up to not much fun.

Saturday August 29th sees a 2 ft SW groundswell in the morning, with a long period of 17 seconds, but the cross-on wind from the west at 9 mph ruins it. Afternoon bumps up to 6 ft from the WNW, but it’s even choppier with 16 mph cross-on wind and a period of just 6 seconds – that’s a messy, blown-out afternoon. Combined energy is strong (589–675), but the quality just isn’t there.

Sunday August 30th offers a small 3 ft SSW groundswell (15-second period) in the morning, light cross-on wind from the west at 6 mph, and a decent 506 energy reading. It’s the best-looking morning of the whole stretch, but still cross-on and only “poor surf conditions” in the data. Not a standout, but if you’re desperate, that Sunday morning might just give you a few manageable runners.

From Monday August 31st all the way through to Thursday September 10th, it’s a long, flat run of tiny waves, mostly 1 ft to 3 ft, with light winds but mostly cross-on or onshore. The combined energy drops right off (down to 130–288). The only day that even flirts with something rideable is Wednesday September 2nd morning – 3 ft S swell, 13-second period, light onshore wind from the SW – but it’s still scored as marginal, not good. That’s nearly two weeks of basically nothing worth chasing.

Friday September 11th is your best and really only highlight in the whole outlook. That morning and afternoon both serve up 2 ft SSW groundswell with a 15–16 second period, and – get this – glassy conditions. Yes, glassy. Light winds from the SSE and SSW at just 3 mph. Combined energy is moderate (210 and 184). It’s small, don’t get me wrong, but for Depressions, glassy and clean with a long-period groundswell is about as good as it gets in this run. The break is fairly consistent, and with that period the waves will have some shape – though at a beach setup, the long period might make things a bit straight. Still, this is the morning to pencil in.

After that, Saturday September 12th fades back to tiny 2 ft stuff with cross-on wind.

So if you’re hanging for a surf, clear your schedule for Friday September 11th. The rest is a write-off. Stick with the longboard or just go for a paddle.

Rusty.

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