Depressions Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and we’ve got a pretty tough stretch ahead for Depressions. The water’s sitting at a balmy 68°F, which is a whopping 6°F warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s seriously unusual, so you’ll be surfing in boardies for sure, but the actual waves are a bit of a letdown.

Right from the start, Wednesday the 22nd is a write-off. The swell is a weak, short-period 2ft from the SSW, but the wind is howling 12-19 mph cross-onshore, making it choppy and messy. The combined wave energy is a moderate 334, but it’s all wind-affected junk. Don’t even bother paddling out.

Thursday the 23rd is a bit of a mixed bag. The morning has a tiny 2ft SSE swell, but the wind is still cross-onshore, so it’s pretty average. The afternoon sees a jump to 6ft, but it’s a short-period 6-second WNW wind swell, and the wind is up again, making it lumpy. The energy bumps up to 504, but the quality is poor. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle-surfing one.

Friday the 24th is the first time we see a glimmer of hope. The wind goes light and offshore from the WSW in the morning, and the swell is a tiny 2ft, but the period is a massive 24 seconds! That’s a very long-period groundswell. The combined energy is strong at 692, but the size is too small to really get going. The forecast is marginal, likely due to tide. The afternoon is even smaller at 1ft. It’s a tease.

Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th are more of the same: small, weak swells in the 2ft-2ft range, with cross-onshore winds and only light energy. The waves are just not worth the drive.

The whole first week is a flat, choppy mess. The first real standout doesn’t come until Friday morning, July 24th, but it’s a very small one. For a beginner-friendly spot like Depressions (which is fairly consistent and sometimes crowded), the best bet is probably the morning of Friday, July 24th, with the clean offshore wind and that incredible 24-second period. You’ll be waiting for sets, but the ones that come through will be long and lined up. The wind is light and offshore, which is a major positive. The swell is only 2ft, so it’s safe for beginners, but the long period means it’s a proper groundswell.

The second week is a bit more hopeful. Saturday, August 1st, the morning shows a 4ft SSE swell with a 14-second period, light cross-onshore wind, and a strong energy reading of 580. It’s still marginal, but the energy is there. Monday, August 3rd, the afternoon has a 6ft WNW swell, but it’s a short-period 6-second windswell, which will be a fat, crumbly mess with the cross-onshore wind. The real standout of the second week looks like Wednesday, August 5th, in the afternoon. The wind swings cross-offshore (ESE at 9 mph), the swell is a clean 3ft from the WNW, and the waves are described as “clean.” The combined energy is 195, which is weak, but for Depressions, the clean conditions will make it the most fun of the whole outlook. The crowd profile is sometimes, so you might have a few mates out, but it’ll be worth it for a few clean waves.

So, to be straight with you, the entire 16-day window is a bit of a struggle. The best two moments are the tiny, clean, long-period swell on Friday morning, July 24th, and the small, clean, cross-offshore waves on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 5th. If you’re desperate, those are your windows. Otherwise, keep an eye on the charts – it tends not to stay this poor for long.

Rusty.

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