Dracula Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. This is Rusty, and I’ve got the skinny on what’s coming our way locally.

Right now, the outlook starts off pretty flat and ugly, and it stays that way for a while. The first proper surf worth paddling out for doesn’t show up until Sunday the 12th. Before that, from Friday the 10th through Saturday the 11th, we’ve got weak, short-period junk with cross-shore winds and barely any energy – combined wave energy struggling below 100. Not worth wetting the wetsuit.

The first glimmer of hope comes Sunday morning, July 12th, at Dracula. It’s an advanced reef break, so this isn’t for the faint of heart. Swell is a modest 3 ft from the NW with a period of 11 seconds – that’s groundswell, meaning longer lines and more power between sets. The wind is glassy... dead calm. That’s a major positive; the surface will be clean and smooth. Combined wave energy hits 145, which is moderate. The water temp is 71°, about 2° warmer than average for this time of year, so a touch warmer than usual.

Unfortunately, that Sunday afternoon turns to rubbish with strong cross-onshore winds. Then Monday the 13th morning looks promising with 4 ft NW swell and offshore wind, but the data says conditions are poor, so I’d hold off.

The real standout in this whole forecast is Friday morning, July 17th. Dracula gets a 6 ft swell from the NNW with an 8-second period. It’s not super long period, but the energy is strong – combined wave energy at 416. The real kicker: glassy conditions, dead calm wind. For an advanced reef break, that’s about as sexy as it gets. Expect clean, powerful waves, but at 6 ft, it’s getting solid, so this is expert territory.

Another potential highlight is Saturday morning, July 25th. Dracula sees a 6 ft NNW swell with a cross-offshore breeze from the SSE, and the combined energy is 408 – strong. The wind will clean it up nicely. Again, not for beginners at that size.

There’s a big gap of mediocre or poor conditions between these windows. Don’t get too excited about the long-range stuff on the 24th and 25th – it’s promising, but we’re talking over a week out, so keep an eye on the wind updates.

Crowds at Dracula can pop up sometimes, especially when it’s clean, so get in early if you can.

For now, the best of the best is Friday July 17th morning and Saturday July 25th morning – both at Dracula, both glassy or clean, with solid swell. Everything else is a fight with the wind.

Rusty.

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