Dracula Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at this patch of water for long enough to know when it’s time to grab the board or stay on the sand. So, here’s the rundown for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, the pattern is a bit messy. There’s a steady pulse of NNW swell hitting this exposed reef, but the wind is a real pain. Most mornings look okay, but the afternoons get blown out by a stiff cross-shore. The real standout in this whole forecast is a window of glassy mornings with clean, workable surf. The best of the best is the morning of Saturday the 22nd of August – that’s the one to circle. The swell is a solid 7 ft from the NNW, with a period of 8 seconds, and it’s going to be dead calm. That’s about as good as it gets for this spot, with very strong wave energy (739). The water is sitting at 73°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you’ll be comfortable in a spring suit.

Now, let’s walk through the days. The run starts on Friday the 7th of August. The morning shows a 6 ft NNW swell with a short 8-second period, but the wind is cross, so it’s a bit bumpy. The energy is moderate (390). The afternoon gets worse with a 12 mph cross-shore, so don’t bother. Saturday the 8th is similar – a 7 ft swell in the morning with light cross wind, but the afternoon turns into a 16 mph cross-shore mess. Sunday the 9th is the same story: a 7 ft swell in the morning but the wind is light and cross, and the afternoon gets hammered by a 19 mph cross-shore. The energy is moderate (530 and 588).

Monday the 10th drops to 5 ft, and the morning is light cross, but the afternoon is cross-shore again. Tuesday the 11th is a 5 ft swell with a cross-on wind in the morning, so it’s not great. Then we hit Wednesday the 12th – the first real gem. The morning is glassy, with a 5 ft swell and 7-second period, and the energy is moderate (246). The water is still that touch warmer than normal. The same happens on Thursday the 13th morning: glassy, 5 ft, nice and clean. Friday the 14th morning is also glassy with 5 ft. These three mornings are your best bet for clean, fun waves in the first week. The afternoons are all cross-shore and blown out.

Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th are a bit more marginal. The morning of the 16th has a 4 ft swell with a clean cross-off wind, which is alright, but the energy is moderate (253). The next week sees a similar pattern of small, short-period swell with cross-shore winds. The mornings of the 21st and 22nd of August are the other standouts. The 21st morning is glassy with 5 ft, and the 22nd morning is the big one – glassy, 7 ft, with very strong energy. That’s the best of the whole forecast.

Now, a quick word on the break. Dracula is a reef setup, so it’s a bit more forgiving than a beach break when the swell is long-period, but with this short, 7 to 8-second period, the waves will be a bit choppy and sectiony. The crowds are only sometimes an issue, so you’ll have some space. The swell direction is NNW, which is right in the optimum for this spot, so that’s a tick. The biggest downside is the afternoon wind – it’s just a constant cross-shore that ruins the surface. Stick to the mornings. The gap between the good morning windows is never more than a day, so there’s always something to chase.

For the beginners, the swell is mostly under 5 ft, so it’s manageable. When it hits 7 ft or more, like on the 22nd, it’s getting a bit solid for a learner. The period is short, so the waves won’t have that long, clean wall, but they’ll be punchy. The energy values are mostly in the moderate range (200-500), but on the 22nd it jumps to very strong (739), so expect some power.

All in all, the best plan is to hit the glassy mornings, especially Wednesday the 12th, Thursday the 13th, and the big one on Saturday the 22nd of August. The forecast is pretty reliable for the first week, so get out there. The second week is a bit more of a gamble, but the signs are good.

Rusty.

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