Depressions Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards.

Straight up, I’m calling it like I see it: this run is a bit of a bummer. There’s hardly a moment in the next 16 days that’s worth paddling out for. The only spot in the frame is Depressions, and it’s a beginner-friendly wave that’s fairly consistent, but the conditions are just not cooperating. The water is a very unusual 68°F – that’s much warmer than normal for this time of year, which is a weird little detail, but it’s not going to fix the wave quality.

The first sniff of anything on offer starts on Thursday, July 30th. There’s a small 2 ft swell from the SSW with a 15-second period. That’s a long period groundswell, which has decent energy (368) but it’s coming in with a cross-on wind. The wave comment calls it “marginal” and I’m inclined to agree. It’s not a total write-off, but with that wind state, it’s going to be bumpy. The following days, from Friday July 31st through the end of the first week, are a write-off. Swell stays small – between 2 ft and 4 ft, but the wind is all onshore or cross-on, and the “poor surf conditions” tag is consistent. The swell direction swings around from S to WNW, but it doesn’t matter because the wind has it blown out.

We hit a real dead zone from around Sunday, August 3rd, through to nearly the middle of the month. The swell drops to 1 ft and 1.0 ft, and the energy dips into the 50s and 70s – that’s weak, barely a ripple. The long period stuff (14-19 seconds) shows up but the wind is just ruining the party. It’s all onshore and cross-on, so you’re looking at choppy, messy lines.

The best of a bad bunch? Honestly, it’s a tough call. If I had to pick a moment, I’d say the Thursday morning, July 30th session at Depressions. It’s 2 ft from the SSW, 15-second period, with a light 3 mph cross-on wind. It’s not clean, but it’s the least bad. The crowd can be an issue here sometimes, but it’s a beginner wave, so it might be a bit of a circus. The wave energy is moderate (368) and the direction is a mismatch for the optimum WSW swell, which hurts it. For a stand-out, there’s nothing that really pumps. The rest of the run is a write-off until the very tail end of the 16 days, around August 12th, where we see a slight pulse: 2 ft from the SSW with a 17-18 second period and energy up to 337-366. But the wind is still onshore. It’s a tease.

So, bottom line: if you’re desperate for a splash, the 30th of July is your only real shot. After that, it’s mostly flat, weak, and blown out. The forecast can change, so don’t write the whole thing off, but as it stands, this is a quiet spell for Depressions.

- Rusty

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