Drakes Estero Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what Drakes Estero has on offer for the next couple of weeks. It's a bit of a slow burn, so don't expect firing waves right away.

We're looking at a pretty quiet start to the outlook. The first few days, Thursday the 2nd to Monday the 6th of July, are mostly a write-off for any decent surf. The swell is small, mostly under 3 feet, and the conditions are either onshore or just sloppy. There's weak wave energy for the most part. You'll want to give it a miss unless you're just keen for a paddle.

Then, things start to get a little more interesting, but it's still a waiting game. From Monday afternoon the 6th through to Sunday the 12th, we start seeing a push in the combined energy (moderate to strong). The problem here is that it's mostly a short-period, wind-driven WNW swell (around 7-9 seconds) which makes for a bit of a bumpy, wally wave. The wind is consistently cross-off from the NW, which is a positive for clean faces, but the swell quality just isn't there to make the most of it. On Wednesday afternoon the 8th, the swell bumps up to nearly 8 ft, but the period drops to a short 7 seconds – that's going to be a bit of a washing machine, even with clean wind. That one is one for experts only if you're brave.

The real standout window lands on the 15th and 17th of July. Wednesday the 15th is your best bet. The morning sees a 6 ft swell from the WNW at 8 seconds, with light cross-off winds. The combined energy is solid. By the afternoon, it builds to a solid 7 ft (strong energy), still with clean, gentle cross-off breezes. It's a decent-sized, workable swell for those who have their wits about them – it's not for beginners. The conditions look clean and the sets will have some push. The other highlight is on the 17th of July, Friday afternoon. The swell drops off to 3 ft but the period stretches out to a long 16 seconds from the west (strong energy). That's a proper groundswell, which at a beach/river mouth setup like Drakes Estero might break a bit too straight. But with gentle cross-off wind and that long period, the lines will be clean and lined up for the taking. That's a great option for a longboard or a fish.

Crowds can be an issue here sometimes, and for the 15th and 17th, I’d expect a few folks to be out given the quality.

Rusty, signing off.

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