Dracula Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. We’ve got one spot on the radar for the whole 16-day window: Dracula. This is a reef set-up, exposed to the west, and it’s very consistent. It’s an advanced wave, so don’t bring the groms here.

The water temperature is sitting at 69°, which is about 1° cooler than the long-term average for this time of year. Not a big deal, feels pretty normal.

The action kicks off Saturday morning, August 29. That’s the standout. Clean, glassy conditions with no wind at all, and a solid 7ft swell from the NNW wrapping in with a 10-second period. The combined energy is moderate at 955. It’s a proper west-facing reef, so that NNW swell wraps in nicely. Expect very good surf. This is the best on offer. Crowds are sometimes around here, so you might have a few others in the water, but it’s worth it.

The rest of Saturday afternoon goes downhill quick with a cross-onshore breeze and choppy conditions. Sunday through Monday are marginal at best, with light to moderate cross-shore winds and dropping swell energy. Not worth paddling out for.

Then Tuesday morning, September 1, we get another window of glassy conditions. Swell is 7ft from the NNW again, period a bit shorter at 8 seconds, energy moderate at 574. It’s clean, but that shorter period means the waves won’t have the same punch as Saturday. Still a good session.

Wednesday and Thursday mornings have some clean-ish windows but the swell is a bit mixed and the energy is dropping. Thursday morning, September 3, you’ve got 6ft NNW swell, glassy wind, and moderate energy at 435. Good, not great.

After that, things get quiet. From Friday, September 4, through to Sunday, September 13, the swell drops off hard. You’re looking at waist-high or smaller waves, with weak energy readings down around 100-200. There are a few glassy mornings, but the waves are ordinary – small and weak. The period drops to 7 seconds or less, which is just not pulling much energy.

There’s a bit of a pulse trying to come back around Friday, September 11, morning. Glassy, 6ft from the NNW, energy at 329. That’s promising, but it’s deep in the second week, so keep an eye on it. Saturday the 12th is a write-off with cross-offshore winds and messy conditions.

The final Sunday, September 13, morning is glassy again but the swell is tiny – 3ft, period 7 seconds, energy only 168. Surfable, just barely.

So, bottom line: if you want the best, paddle out Saturday morning August 29, or Tuesday morning September 1. After that, the window narrows fast. I’d be watching the Friday September 11 morning for a possible late-season pulse, but don’t bank on it.

Rusty.

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