Dracula Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, pull up a stump and let’s talk about what’s coming our way.

First thing you need to know, there’s nothing on the cards right this minute. The first decent window swings open on Monday the 31st of August. The early part of the outlook has some action, but a few of those days get chewed up by afternoon wind.

Monday the 31st is a bit of a mixed bag. The morning at Dracula looks promising with clean 6 ft waves from the NNW. The wind is glassy, so it’ll be smooth out there, even if the swell period is a short 8 seconds. The energy is moderate (348). The water temp is sitting at 69°, which is about average for the time of year. The afternoon though, that wind swings NNW and picks right up, crossing the swell and making a mess of it.

The standout of this whole run is Tuesday the 1st of September. The morning session is where you want to be. We’ve got a solid 7 ft swell from the NNW, glassy conditions, and a combined energy reading of 527. For a reef break that’s very consistent, this is the pick. The afternoon will be blown out with a strong cross-wind.

Wednesday the 2nd is another good shout in the morning. The swell holds at a strong 7 ft, period bumps up to 9 seconds, and we get a clean cross-offshore breeze from the south. The energy is high at 673. At 7 ft, it’s getting solid, so this one is for the advanced crew only. The afternoon goes a bit cross-onshore and choppy.

After Wednesday, things taper off. Thursday the 3rd drops to 5 ft and stays small with cross-onshore wind through the weekend. There’s a bit of a lull from Thursday the 3rd through to Sunday the 6th, where the swell drops under 3 ft and the wind is messy. Not worth paddling out for.

Then we get a bit of a flicker. Monday the 7th of September morning is glassy, but the swell is tiny at 2 ft. What’s interesting is the period jumps to 12 seconds – that’s a groundswell. It’ll be weak energy (254), so it’s only going to work if the tide and the bank line up perfectly at this reef. The Tuesday the 8th, Wednesday the 9th, and Thursday the 10th of September mornings all bring glassy or very light wind with the swell running 4 ft to 4 ft from the NNW. The combined energy is moderate, between 255 and 290. The surf is rideable, but nothing special – just something to wet the line.

Looking further out around the 12th of September, a new pulse of swell shows up. Saturday the 12th morning has a clean 5 ft cross-offshore wind, and by the afternoon it goes glassy. Sunday the 13th shows some size, with 6 ft to 7 ft on offer, but the wind is variable – cross-onshore in the morning, then cleaner cross-off in the afternoon. Those are longer-range calls, so keep an eye on it, but that Sunday afternoon could be the second-best of the whole run if it holds together.

So, the clear winner: Tuesday 1st of September morning. The runner-up is Wednesday 2nd of September morning. Get on it.

Rusty.

Read more