Dracula Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let’s have a look at what’s comin’ our way.

We’ve got one spot on the radar for this entire 16-day stretch, and that’s Dracula. It’s a reef break, so it’s got that raw, defined shape to it, and it’s exposed to the west – which is what this swell wants. The water temp’s sittin’ at 69°, which is just a touch cooler than usual for this time of year, about normal enough.

First up, Monday the 31st of August, we’ve got a morning window that’s worth gettin’ out of bed for. Dracula’s pullin’ in a 6ft swell from the NNW, with a short period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is modest at 348, but the wind is dead glassy out of the north at just 3 mph. That’s the kind of clean, glassy surface that makes a reef like this feel like butter. Sets will be a bit close together with that short period, but it’ll be fun, punchy, and workable for the experienced crew. By the afternoon, the wind swings and gets messy, so it’s a morning mission only.

Tuesday the 1st of September morning is another standout. The swell bumps up to 7ft from the NNW, period still short at 8 seconds, but the energy jumps to a strong 547. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the NNE at 3 mph, keepin’ it clean. This is powerful, rippable stuff, but at 7ft, it’s pushin’ the limits for beginners. For the advanced surfer, it’s prime.

Wednesday the 2nd of September morning is the real gem. Swell sits at 7ft from the NNW, period lengthens a touch to 9 seconds, and the energy is a solid 673. The wind is dead glassy again – nothing but a slight southerly air at 3 mph. That’s about as perfect as it gets for Dracula. Solid, clean lines rifling down the reef. This is my pick of the whole forecast. The crowds are sometimes a thing here, so you might have a few others in the water, but with conditions like this, it’s worth it.

After that, the surf drops off through the end of the first week into the second. From Thursday the 3rd onwards, we get a long dry spell. Heights dip under 3ft, periods get weird, and the winds turn cross or onshore. There’s a couple of days around the 9th of September where a 5ft NNW swell tries to show up, but the period’s too short at 7 seconds and the wind is either glassy but messy on the morning of the 9th, then ruined by lunchtime. Not really a goer.

Then we’ve got a long gap of quiet, small, windy days until Tuesday the 15th of September. That morning, Dracula suddenly lights up again with a 4ft swell from the NW, but get this – a 16-second period. That’s proper groundswell, and the energy is huge at 1027. The wind is light cross at just 3 mph. That long period will make those waves stand up tall and hollow on the reef, but it might also make ’em close out or run a bit straight if you’re not in the right spot. Still, for the experts, that’s a mouthwatering prospect. It’s a long way out though, so keep an eye on it – forecasts can change.

All in all, the first few days of September have the real fire, especially the 2nd. The rest is mostly flat or blown out until that long-range pulse on the 15th. If you’re keen, get out on the 31st morning, the 1st morning, and definitely that Wednesday morning the 2nd.

Rusty.

Read more