Depressions Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me tell you what I’m seeing for the next couple of weeks here at Depressions. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, and honestly, for the first week and a half, we’re scraping the bottom of the barrel.

We start off Friday the 7th of August into the weekend with a tiny, messy 1ft to 2ft swell from the southwest. The wind is mostly onshore, and the water is sitting at a very unusual 69°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year. But the waves are just poor. There’s a bit of energy in the water, with combined energy readings between 140 and 192, but it’s not translating into anything worth paddling out for.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Monday the 10th of August. The morning starts glassy with a light breeze, and the swell is still small at 2ft from the SSW, but the period is a very long 14 seconds. The conditions are described as surfable, and the energy jumps up to 253. It’s not going to be pumping, but for a desperate surfer, it’s the best we’ve seen. The glassy conditions will make it clean, but don’t expect much push.

From Tuesday the 11th through Wednesday the 12th, we get a few more glassy windows with the same small 1ft to 2ft SSW swell, but the energy is moderate. The waves are still just ordinary. Then from Thursday the 13th through to Sunday the 16th, the swell starts to build slowly, reaching 3ft by the 15th and 16th. The wind is onshore or cross-onshore, making it choppy, and the combined energy climbs into the 300s and even 400s. The swell period is still long, around 15-16 seconds, which is a classic groundswell, but unfortunately the wind is ruining it. It’s all poor surf conditions.

There’s a bit of a shift on Friday the 21st of August. We see a new swell arrive, this time from the WNW at 3ft, but the period is a short, weak 7 seconds. It’s a windswell, and it’s marginal. The wind is still onshore or cross-onshore, so it’s not going to be clean. The energy is moderate at 385. The next day, Saturday the 22nd, the swell is a bit bigger at 4ft to 5ft, but the period is still a miserable 6 to 8 seconds. This is more of a choppy, messy situation. It’s poor surf, and honestly, with the short period and cross-onshore wind, it’s looking more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer.

The standout, if you can call it that, is Monday the 10th of August. The swell is tiny, but the glassy wind and the long period mean it’s the cleanest we’ll see. It’s a beginner-friendly 2ft from the SSW, and the water is still warm. The crowds are sometimes around, so you might have a few others out. For anything bigger, you’re looking at the end of the second week, but it’s all wind-affected and short period, so it’s more of a promise than a guarantee.

Keep your eyes on the forecasts, because this stretch of poor surf can’t last forever.

Rusty.

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