Depressions Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let's have a look what we've got brewing at Depressions over the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, it's a tough run. We're looking at a long, drawn-out period of small, messy surf with tricky winds. The first real standout... well, honestly, there isn't a proper one. The best we get is a brief window on Tuesday the 22nd of September in the afternoon when the wind goes glassy, but the swell is tiny at 2ft from the SW.

The overall pattern is dominated by a weak, inconsistent swell, mostly from the SW and SSW, with periods ranging from a snappy 6 seconds up to a long 21 seconds. Don't get excited about those longer periods though; that groundswell is mostly hitting a beach setup, meaning it'll probably close out and be a pain to read. The combined swell energy is mostly moderate, in the 150-400 range, but it's not translating to any quality.

Now, for the specifics. To kick it off, on Sunday the 13th of September we see a short-period 6ft swell from the WNW (417 combined energy), but it's bumpy with a cross-on shore breeze. That's not going to be a pleasant paddle. The water is sitting at a very unusual 71°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year.

From there, it's a slog. We have days on end where the surf is labelled as poor or marginal. The swell drops and stays small, rarely getting much over waist-high. The winds are mostly onshore or cross-onshore, making for a choppy surface. There are a couple of mornings in the last week of September where the wind is light and conditions are a bit cleaner, but the swell is still tiny—2ft at best.

The only period that looks even remotely worth a look is the afternoon of Tuesday the 22nd. We get a glassy, clean surface with that light WSW wind. But the swell is a meager 2ft from the SW at 16 seconds. It's going to be tough work to find a rideable wave, and it's for experts only who can read a drawn-out groundswell.

Honestly, this is a lean, mean 16-day window. We've got over a week of nothing really surfable in there. It's not unusual for this area to have these blank runs, so don't get your hopes up. For the final few days (the 27th and 28th of September), the swell starts to build a little, but the onshore wind kills it right away on the 27th afternoon.

Look, if you're desperate for a paddle, the Tuesday 22nd afternoon is the only time this spot offers a clean, glassy surface. It's for the longboard or the foiler. Anyone else is better off doing something else.

Rusty.

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