Dracula Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the forecast for Dracula over the next couple of weeks. Dracula is a reef break, and it’s exposed to the swell, so it can pick up some serious energy. Water temp is sitting right on 69°, which is pretty much average for this time of year – nothing weird going on there.

Right off the bat, the first few days are a bit of a write-off. Friday the 17th and Saturday the 18th have some decent size, around 5ft to 7ft, but the wind is a mess. It’s a cross-shore, fresh breeze, and the surf is lumpy and poor. Not worth paddling out for.

Sunday the 19th into Monday the 20th stays similar – 6ft to 8ft of swell, but the wind is still cross-shore or light cross-on, and the wave energy is moderate (between 369 and 607). The quality just isn’t there. You’re looking at a few days of nothing but frustration.

But then, we get a couple of windows that are worth getting excited about. Tuesday morning the 21st, the wind goes glassy, and there’s a 6ft swell from the NNW with a period of 7 seconds. The combined energy is moderate (333), and the conditions are set to be good. Wednesday morning the 22nd looks similar – glassy, 6ft, and a slightly longer 8-second period. The energy bumps up a bit to 417. These are your best early windows: clean, shoulder-high reef waves, but the period is short, so they'll be a bit sectiony.

The run of mornings continues with Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th also showing glassy conditions. Thursday morning has 6ft and 8-second period (429 energy), and Friday morning has 6ft with the same period (310 energy). These are all clean, but the swell is a bit smaller. For a standout, I’d point to Wednesday morning, July 22nd – that 6ft swell with the glassy wind and moderate energy offers the best combination of size and clean conditions in the first week.

Heading into the second week, things get bigger, but also messier. Saturday the 25th sees a 8ft to 8ft swell with moderate to strong energy (722 to 1028), but the wind is cross-shore on Saturday morning, and the afternoon is a moderate cross-chop. Sunday the 26th is a beast – 8ft to 12ft, with energy jumping to 1284 and then 2044. That’s strong wave energy, but it’s also a near gale cross-shore wind on Sunday afternoon. That’s too big for most, and only for experts. The waves will be massive and chaotic.

The rest of the week into early August stays solid, with 5ft to 8ft of swell, but the wind is mostly cross-shore or cross-onshore, with moderate to fresh breezes. The energy levels stay high (360 to 1066), but the quality is poor or marginal. The morning of Saturday, August 1st, has a glassy cross-onshore wind with 8ft, but it’s still a bit onshore, so it’s not the cleanest.

Overall, the best bet is to hit the early mornings from the 21st to the 24th for clean, glassy rides. The second week has more size, but it’s a battle with the wind. If you’re an expert, Sunday the 26th will be a big, raw challenge, but the wind is a mess. For the rest of us, stick to the glassy mornings.

Rusty.

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