Dracula Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get stuck into this one. We've only got one spot really on the radar for the next couple of weeks, and that's Dracula. It’s a reef break, advanced only, and it's exposed to the west-northwest swells that are gonna be rolling through.

Right off the bat, the water temp here is sitting at 68°F, which is a degree and a half cooler than what we’d normally expect for late July. Not a massive shock, but you’ll feel that little nip if you're in a spring suit.

The first half of this run is a real mixed bag. For the first few days, starting Wednesday the 22nd and into the 23rd, we’ve got a solid 6ft northwest swell rolling in, but the wind is just a mess. It’s cross or cross-on from the north-northwest, and that is absolutely trashing the surface. The wave energy is moderate (334 to 367) but the quality is zip. It’s not worth paddling out for.

We have to wait until Friday morning the 24th. That’s our first real window. The swell bumps up a touch to 6ft from the NNW, but more importantly, the wind drops to nothing. It’s glassy. The energy is building (397) and conditions look clean for a session. The water is still that bit colder than usual.

Then Saturday the 25th morning is where it starts to get really interesting. Swell is 8ft from the NNW with a light cross-off breeze from the NNE. It’s clean, it’s got moderate energy on it (686), and it looks very good. This is a standout window for the experienced crew.

Be warned, Saturday afternoon sees the wind absolutely nuke onshore at 22 mph, and the swell jumps to 10ft. That’s big, raw power (1493), but it’ll be a total washing machine. Not for paddling.

Sunday the 26th and Monday the 27th mornings offer some more clean windows with glassy conditions at 8ft and 7ft, though the periods are short at 8 seconds, so it’s a bit bumpy. The energy is still moderate to strong (703 and 527).

After that, the swell slowly winds down through the end of July and into the start of August. For the morning sessions on the 28th, 30th, and 31st you'll find clean, glassy conditions on a dropping swell (5ft to 5ft), but the energy is getting weaker (210 to 256). Still fun for a wave if you're desperate.

Things get patchy and weak from the 1st of August onwards. By the 3rd of August, we’re down to 2ft with barely 82 energy units. The second week is lean, low energy, and mostly messy. There’s a slight pulse on the morning of the 5th with 6ft and glassy winds (294), but it's followed by onshores again.

Honestly, the real highlight here is Saturday the 25th of July and Monday the 27th of July mornings. That’s when you get the best combo of size, clean offshore/glassy winds, and moderate energy. But only for the very experienced.

If you're after a clean, easy ride, this isn't it. The short period (7-8 seconds) means the waves will be a bit fat and walled up at times, typical for a reef break like this.

Stay safe out there.

Rusty.

Read more