Depressions Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve got the long-range outlook for Depressions. Honestly, it’s a pretty quiet run ahead. We’re looking at a solid two-week stretch where the surf is mostly small and the conditions are battling a persistent cross-onshore wind, so don’t expect much to get excited about.

Let’s start with this Thursday, August 27th. Thursday morning is actually the pick of the whole 16-day window. We’ve got a tiny 2ft south swell rolling in with a nice 12-second period, and the wind is glassy out of the NNE. That’s clean, that’s rideable, and the water temperature is a very unusual 71°, which is 7° warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s seriously warm. The combined wave energy is moderate at 187, so it’s not pumping, but for a beginner-friendly spot like Depressions with that glassy surface, it’s a solid morning. Crowds can show up sometimes, so you might have some company on those clean little lines. The afternoon goes wonky with a 2ft south swell but a cross-shore WNW breeze at 6 mph, turning it messy.

Friday the 28th is a write-off. The swell jumps to 4ft and then 5ft, but the period drops to a weak 6 seconds and the wind is cross-onshore all day. That’s choppy, unshapely, and no fun.

Saturday the 29th sees a long-period groundswell arrive – 2ft from the SW with 17 seconds in the morning, building the energy to a strong 599. Sounds good, right? Wrong. The wind is cross-onshore again, and that long period is going to make the beach break here fat and straight. It’s a kite-surfing kind of day, not a paddle day.

Sunday the 30th has a tiny 3ft SSW swell with a 15-second period, and we finally get some offshore wind in the morning – WSW at 6 mph. The energy is strong at 450, but the height is tiny. It’s a marginal session at best, and the afternoon goes back to cross-onshore.

From Monday the 31st right through to September 11th, it’s just day after day of small surf – 1ft to 4ft – with poor conditions. The wind is almost always cross-onshore or onshore, and the swell direction bounces between S and SSW. There are a couple of mornings with offshore wind (like the 3rd and 4th of September), but the wave quality is still rated poor or marginal. The energy levels are moderate to strong in the second week, but with those onshore breezes, it’s just messy. Avoid September 11th afternoon – a 6ft WNW windswell with 6 seconds and 16 mph cross-onshore winds is ugly.

So, the one true standout is Thursday morning, August 27th. Get out there for that glassy window, because after that, we’re staring down a long, poor run. It doesn’t stay this flat and messy forever, but this stretch is a test of patience.

Rusty.

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