Dracula Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, grab a coffee, let’s have a look at what’s coming up over the next couple of weeks. The only real player on the board here is Dracula, a heavy, advanced reef break. It’s a very consistent spot, exposed to the west, so it catches a lot of what’s thrown at it. The water temp is sitting at 71°F, which is pretty much average for this time of year, so a spring suit will be fine.

The first few days are a bit of a write-off, to be honest. We’ve got a weak pulse of swell on Sunday the 23rd, with a combined energy of only 295 (weak), and it’s messy with a cross-onshore wind. It’s not really worth paddling out for. Monday the 24th isn’t much better, with the wind still chopping things up. This pattern of marginal, onshore-wrecked conditions carries on through the week. The swell does build a bit, but it’s just not clean. You’ll be fighting the wind more than the wave.

Now, the first real standout comes on Saturday the 29th of August. The morning session is the one. We’ve got a solid 8ft swell from the NNW, and the wind is glassy. Absolutely dead calm. The combined energy is a strong 819 (moderate-to-strong), so there’s plenty of punch. This is a big wave for the reef, over 8ft, so this is for experts only. The period is 9 seconds, which is a short-range swell, so it’ll be a bit sectiony and fat in places, but with those glassy conditions, it’ll still be a proper session. The afternoon will get a bit choppy again, so get in early.

The next morning, Sunday the 30th, drops back to 5ft, but the wind is light cross-shore, so it’s a lot more manageable. Still good but not as epic as Saturday.

Looking further out, Tuesday the 1st of September has a lovely clean morning with an offshore breeze from the east, and a punchy 6ft swell. The combined energy is 476 (moderate). That’s a solid, clean day for the advanced crew.

Then, hold on… Friday the 4th of September. Glassy conditions again, with a 6ft swell from the NNW. Another absolute belter of a morning. The energy is 341 (moderate), so it’s not as powerful as the 29th, but it’ll be super clean and fun.

Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th of September both have clean morning windows with cross-offshore or glassy winds and waves around 5ft to 5ft. Good, consistent waves for the more experienced surfer.

The very end of the run, on Monday the 7th of September, throws a curveball. The swell drops to 2ft, but the period jumps to 18 seconds. That’s a very long period groundswell. The combined energy is 477 (moderate). This kind of swell will wrap around the reef beautifully, but it might be a bit too straight for a beach break. At Dracula, a reef break, it should be fine, but it’ll be a very inconsistent, setty affair. Worth a look if you’ve got the patience.

So, the best of the best? No doubt about it: Saturday the 29th of August morning, and Friday the 4th of September morning. Both are glassy, and both have good, solid swell. The 29th has the size and power, the 4th has the consistency. The one on the 1st of September is also a cracker for the clean offshore wind.

Rusty.

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