Depressions Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get to it. This is Rusty here, bleary-eyed but hopeful.

Alright folks, looking ahead for Depressions, it’s a mixed bag. For the first week or so, it’s a bit of a desert out there, and that’s the honest truth. The surf energy is just not cooperating. We're looking at a long gap before anything worth paddling out for shows up.

We start on Monday the 13th with a tiny 2 ft swell from the SSW, period 13 seconds, but it’s cross-on and the combined energy is only 216 (that’s weak). The water temp is sitting at 64°, about a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s one plus. But the report says “poor surf conditions” and I’m not arguing. This pattern sticks around; Tuesday the 14th is even smaller with 1 ft to 1.0 ft and a choppy feel. Wednesday the 15th pushes up to 3 ft to 5 ft, but the period drops to 8 seconds and then a messy 6 seconds, making it short-period wind slop. Don’t bother.

Thursday the 16th and Friday the 17th? “Marginal” at best. The swell is 5 ft on Thursday but the energy is still moderate (452 on the combined scale), and the wind is onshore. It’s just not clean. Friday morning is 3 ft and small. I’d wait.

The weekend of the 18th and 19th is more of the same – small swell in the 2 ft to 2 ft range, onshore winds, and combined energy bouncing between 327 and 514. The 19th afternoon hits 514, which is moderate energy, but the wind and poor quality ruin it. No go.

From the 20th to the 22nd, it’s all 2 ft to 2 ft stuff. Not worth the wax.

Now, here’s a flicker of hope. On Wednesday the 22nd afternoon, things start to turn. The wind goes glassy, the swell is 2 ft from the SSW with a period of 14 seconds, and we get a combined energy of 352 (moderate). The report says “expect good surf conditions.” Finally. That glassy wind is a major positive – it will be clean. Keep an eye on that.

But the real standout is Thursday the 23rd afternoon. This is the best on offer. We’ve got a 3 ft swell from the S, period 14 seconds, and total glass – the wind is from the WSW at 6 mph, flat calm. Combined energy jumps to 543, strong enough to get the bank working. This is the day to clear your calendar. The swell direction from the South is right in line with what we want at Depressions, and the light offshore will put a face on those waves. It’s not huge, but the quality will be there.

After that, Friday the 24th starts to fade a bit with a 4 ft swell but onshore wind, and it gets worse into the final weekend with building cross-onshore winds up to 15 mph. The swell sticks around at 3 ft to 2 ft but it’s choppy and messy. The combined energy stays high (572-562) but with the wind, it’s a mess. For beginners, the swell never goes over 5 ft in this run, so it’s never too big. But the conditions just aren’t there except for that golden Thursday.

Crowds at Depressions can pop up sometimes, so for that Thursday, expect a few others with the same idea.

To sum it up: the first week is a write-off. Then we wait for that glassy run on the afternoon of the 22nd and especially Thursday the 23rd afternoon. That’s your window. Get on it.

- Rusty

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