Dracula Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright surfers, Rusty here. Let’s talk about the next couple of weeks at Dracula. This is a reef break that loves a good W swell, but we’re seeing a long run of NNW swell that will make it a bit of a mixed bag. The water is sitting at 71°F which is almost bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The week kicks off with a bumpy start. Friday the 28th is a write-off: 8 ft of messy, short-period swell with a stiff cross-shore wind. The combined energy is moderate at best (929), but it’s not worth paddling out for. You’d be fighting a cross-chop all session.

The real standout is Saturday morning the 29th. Glassy conditions, clean, with a solid 7 ft NNW groundswell rolling in at 11 seconds. The energy is solid (892) and the wind is dead calm. That’s going to be the pick of the whole run. Dracula will have some real shape to it, but keep in mind a longer period like that on a reef tends to throw some wider, slower sets, so pick your lines.

Sunday the 30th is still okay but not as clean—morning sees 6 ft with a light cross-shore, and the swell period drops off, making it less punchy. By the afternoon it’s getting smaller and choppy.

Monday the 31st morning sees a glassy window with 6 ft NNW swell, but the energy is dropping (348). It’s rideable but nothing to write home about.

The next true standout is Tuesday morning, September 1st. Glass again, 7 ft of short-period swell from the NNW, energy up to 574, and the sets will be clean, fast, and punchy. That’s another great session if you can get out before the wind turns on you in the afternoon.

Wednesday morning September 2nd is also a beauty: light offshore from the ESE, glassy, with 7 ft of NNW swell. The combined energy is 699, so there’s decent push. This is your second-best call of the whole period, right up there with Saturday morning the 29th.

After that, things taper off. The morning of Thursday September 3rd is still okay with glassy conditions and 6 ft, but the energy is down to 366. It’s surfable, not epic.

From Thursday afternoon through the weekend, the swell fades fast and the wind gets messy. By Saturday September 5th, we’re down to 2 ft and struggling. The energy drops to 75, which is weak. Sunday the 6th is a little better—3 ft and glassy in the morning—but it’s tiny.

A notable uptick arrives on Tuesday morning September 8th: 6 ft, glassy, and moderate energy (399). It’s not a standout, but it’s a welcome break from the flat spell.

Looking out to Wednesday September 9th, the afternoon shows 8 ft NNW swell with a light cross-shore and combined energy of 1025 (moderate-to-strong). That’s a big number, but the wind is only just okay, and the period is short at 8 seconds. It’ll be lumpy and a bit unruly. For experts only.

Finally, Friday morning September 11th is a sleeper: glassy, 5 ft with a 9-second period, and energy at 508. It’s clean, but the afternoon gets ruined by a 15 mph cross-shore.

Overall, your two absolute best windows are Saturday morning August 29th and Wednesday morning September 2nd. Both glassy, decent sized, with clean lines. The rest is a mix of clean but small, or big but messy. Don’t sleep on the long-range Friday morning Sept 11th either—it’s a promise, just an uncertain one this far out.

If you’re a beginner, any swell over 5 ft is going to be big enough to punish you, so stick to the smaller glassy mornings under that height. Anything over 8 ft from the 9th afternoon is for experienced crew only.

Stay tuned, and always check the horizon.

Rusty

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