Dracula Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, gather round. Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up at Dracula.

We’ve got a solid run of surf on the horizon, but it’s not all plain sailing. The early part of the week is a write-off thanks to funky winds, but there are a couple of windows where it all comes together nicely. The standouts are the Sunday morning of the 19th and the Sunday morning of the 26th – those are the ones to circle.

The Overall Picture

Dracula is a very consistent, advanced reef break that needs a solid W to NW swell, and we’ve got that in spades. The combined swell energy is strong at times, hitting 208 (moderate energy) on Monday morning, building to 247 on Thursday, then roaring into the 400s and 500s by the weekend and beyond. The water temperature is sitting at 69°, which is about average for the time of year, so nothing wild there.

The Breakdown

Monday, 13th July: The morning is your best bet early on. Glassy conditions with a light SSW breeze at 3 mph, and a clean 4ft NW swell, period 9 seconds. That’s a good, workable groundswell. The combined energy is 208. It’s a solid, clean start. But the arvo? Forget it. The wind swings NNW and picks up to 12 mph, turning it into a cross-on mess.

Tuesday, 14th July to Saturday, 18th July: This is a rough patch. Winds are mostly cross or cross-on, and the swell is either small or, when it gets bigger, it’s choppy and lumpy. The swell height jumps up to 5ft to 7ft from Thursday to Saturday, but the NNW winds are howling 16-19 mph, creating a real lumpy cross-chop. The energy is high (403 to 671), but the quality is poor. Not worth the paddle.

Sunday, 19th July – The First Standout
Here we go. Sunday morning. The wind turns SE at 6 mph, giving us a clean cross-off breeze. The swell is a solid 6ft from the NNW, period 7 seconds, with a combined energy of 302. It’s clean, it’s got push, and the reef will be handling it beautifully. This is a proper session. The only downside? It’s “sometimes” crowded, so expect a few other heads in the lineup.

Monday, 20th July to Saturday, 25th July: The swell drops away. We’re looking at 2ft to 4ft, with periods of 5-7 seconds. The winds are mostly cross or cross-on, and the energy is weak (48 to 91). There are a couple of glassy mornings on the 22nd and 24th, but with barely any swell, it’s a flat spell. A good time to wax the board and wait.

Sunday, 26th July – The Second Standout
This is the one. Sunday morning. Glassy. Flat calm. A 6ft NNW swell, period 7 seconds, with a combined energy of 286. It’s clean, it’s glassy, and the reef will be offering up some nice lines. The afternoon will get ruined by a 16 mph cross-shore, but the morning window is pure gold. Again, expect a crowd.

Monday, 27th July to Tuesday, 28th July: The swell is still pumping at 7ft to 7ft, energy in the 500s, but the mornings are cross-shore, and the afternoons are cross-on and lumpy. It’s marginal at best. The size is there for the experts, but the wind is a spoiler.

So, to wrap it up. Sunday the 19th morning and Sunday the 26th morning are your magic windows. Get in the water early, enjoy the clean conditions, and take the crowd for what it is. The rest of the time, the wind is a stubborn bastard.

Rusty.

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