Dracula Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Dracula over the next couple of weeks.

First off, the water’s sitting at a warm 73°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you might not need the thickest rubber.

The overall pattern is messy. We’ve got a solid amount of swell running for most of the 16-day window, but the wind is the real story here. It’s mostly cross-shore or cross-onshore from the NNW, and that’s gonna keep things lumpy and chopped up for long stretches. There’s moderate wave energy (402) kicking off the period, but don’t get excited – the quality just isn’t there.

For the first week, it’s a real struggle. Tuesday afternoon (4th August) through to the end of the first weekend is mostly a write-off. The wind is fresh or moderate, blowing cross-shore, and the surf is poor. The combined energy builds through the week, hitting 809 (moderate) on Thursday afternoon, but the cross-chop is nasty. The only real window of hope pops up on Friday morning, August 7th. The wind goes glassy, coming from the SSE, and we’ve got a 8 ft swell from the NNW with a period of 8 seconds. The energy is strong at 703. That’s the standout of the first week – clean, glassy conditions at Dracula, which is a reef break that’s very consistent and exposed. This is for advanced surfers only at that size with a short period, but it’ll be a proper session. Crowds are possible though.

Saturday morning (August 8th) also looks clean with a light cross-offshore breeze and a 7 ft NNW swell, but the energy is a bit lower at 520. Look for that window.

The middle of the week goes back to poor conditions with cross-shore winds and lumpy surf. The swell drops a bit, with energy falling to the 300 range (weak). It’s a slow grind until the following weekend.

The real standout of the entire period is Wednesday morning, August 19th. The wind goes glassy again from the SSW, and we’ve got a solid 8 ft NNW swell with 613 units of energy. Conditions are expected to be very good. This is a deep long-range call, so it’s less certain, but if it lines up, it’ll be the best session of the whole run. The afternoon gets wrecked by a cross-onshore breeze, so make sure you’re on it early.

Before that, there’s a bit of a tease on Monday morning, August 17th – glassy conditions with a smaller 5 ft NNW swell and 244 energy. It’s a good option for a clean, smaller wave, but it’s not the big one.

Overall, the crowds are possible at Dracula when it’s good, and it’s a very consistent, exposed reef that handles the swell well. Don’t waste your time on the afternoons – the wind ruins it. Stick to the early mornings, especially that Friday the 7th, Saturday the 8th, and the big call for Wednesday the 19th.

Rusty.

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