Dracula Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the table for the Dracula stretch.

We’re looking at a real mixed bag over the next sixteen days. There are some windows of clean, glassy surf, especially early on and again toward the tail end of the window, but a whole lot of cross-shore and onshore wind in between is going to make things tricky. The standout sessions are definitely the glassy mornings.

The water temp is sitting at 70°, which is pretty much dead average for this time of year – no surprises there.

Things kick off on Friday the 4th of September with a small, glassy 3ft swell from the NNW, period a short 7 seconds. The combined energy is weak (101), so it’s surfable but nothing to write home about. The wind is glass, which is a bonus, but the wave quality is ordinary.

Saturday the 5th has a similar 3ft swell in the morning with clean cross-off wind, but it gets messy by the afternoon with a cross-on breeze.

Sunday the 6th is glassy again in the morning with 3ft swell, clean as a whistle, but still tiny and short-period. The afternoon gets blown out with a cross-chop.

Now, Monday the 7th of September morning is one of the true standouts. We’ve got 2ft swell from the NNW, but the period bumps up to 12 seconds, bringing that groundswell feel. The combined energy jumps to a moderate 309, and it’s glassy. This is a proper clean, lined-up little reef wave at Dracula. The wind is dead calm. This is the kind of session where you’ll be trading waves with just a few other crew (sometimes crowded, but worth it for a wave this clean). The longer period means better shape and the gaps between sets will keep the paddle-out mellow. This is the pick of the early run.

Tuesday the 8th and Wednesday the 9th get messy. The swell builds to 5ft and then 6ft, but it’s accompanied by a fresh cross-shore wind that’s going to chop it all up. The energy gets strong (394 to 542), but it’s not surfable in a fun way. This is more kite-surfing territory than paddle surfing.

Then Thursday the 10th of September morning – here’s another clean window. 5ft swell from the NNW, period a short 8 seconds, but the wind is completely glassy (0 km/h). The combined energy is moderate to strong (318). It’s a decent size, clean, and the reef will handle the shorter period better than a beach. This is a solid morning for an advanced surfer, but at 5ft it’s doable for strong intermediates too. It is not too big for everyone, but it’s pushing into the zone where beginners should sit it out.

From the 11th to the 15th of September, it’s mostly onshore or cross-shore wind with variable swell between 2ft and 5ft. A few glassy moments on the 13th morning, but that’s back down to 3ft and weak energy (87). Just ordinary conditions.

Then Wednesday the 16th of September morning – the swell bumps to 6ft from the NNW, combined energy is strong (660). The wind is light cross-on, which puts it in the marginal bracket. Not a standout because of the wind, but the size and energy are there for a solid paddling session if you don’t mind a bit of texture.

Thursday the 17th of September morning is the other standout. 6ft swell from the NNW with glassy conditions. The combined energy is strong (596). This is excellent – clean, solid, lined-up reef waves. It’s in the zone where it’s a proper expert wave, pushing past 8ft in size potential. The wind is calm, the direction is right for Dracula. This is the one you circle on the calendar.

Saturday the 19th of September finishes with a small 4ft clean little morning under cross-off wind, but it’s just ordinary, surfable conditions to wrap it up.

So, overall: two real standouts – Monday the 7th morning and Thursday the 17th morning. Both glassy, clean, and with enough energy to make it fun. The rest of the period is either tiny or windy, with a fair few days in between where it’s not worth paddling out.

Rusty, signing off.

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