Drakes Estero Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, grab a coffee, and I’ll talk you through the next couple of weeks at Drakes Estero. It’s a beach-and-river setup, beginner-friendly, but it’s got a bit of a slow start.

First off, the opening days are a bit of a washout. Tuesday the 4th and Wednesday the 5th are pretty poor – small, weak swell with messy onshore winds. The combined wave energy is pitiful, in the 100-300 range, so hardly worth paddling out for. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Things start to flicker to life on Thursday the 6th. The morning is still rubbish, but the afternoon gets a little cleaner with a light cross-offshore breeze. The swell is still tiny, 2ft from the SW, but the energy nudges up a bit. It’s surfable, but only just.

Friday the 7th is a write-off again, with a long period groundswell (18-19 seconds) that’s too small and straight to do much here. But then we get to Saturday the 8th. That’s the first real standout. The morning brings a punchy 5ft swell from the NW, with a short period of 7 seconds, but the combined energy jumps right up to 608 – that’s proper moderate energy. The wind is a light cross-offshore, so the waves will be clean. This is the best session of the first week, full stop. It’s a bit punchy for total beginners, but anyone with a bit of experience will have a blast.

Sunday the 9th sees the swell building, with the afternoon hitting 7ft from the WNW. That’s getting into expert-only territory, especially with a short period making it dumpy. The wind is a moderate cross-offshore, but the wave energy is cranked up to 890. It’s powerful, but you’ll need to know what you’re doing.

The following week, from Monday the 11th through to Wednesday the 13th, has a solid run of chest-to-head-high swell (5ft to 7ft) from the WNW. The best of these is Tuesday the 11th afternoon, with a clean 7ft and energy of 900 – that’s a proper session for the confident crew. The wind is cross-offshore, keeping the faces tidy.

But the real hidden gem of the whole outlook is Friday the 14th morning. The swell drops to 3ft from the WNW, with a nice long period of 11 seconds. The wind is glassy – dead calm. That’s the kind of morning where you’ll get smooth, peeling lines with no wind chop. It’s a beginner’s dream. The energy is moderate at 401, but the quality will be top-notch.

After that, the swell fades back down to knee-to-waist high for the rest of the period, with the odd clean session on Sunday the 16th afternoon. The combined energy drops back into the 300-500 range, so it’s not a total loss, but it’s not going to get the heart racing.

Overall, you’ve got a gap of poor surf until Saturday the 8th, then a solid run of power through to mid-week, with the glassy Friday 14th session being the absolute cream of the crop. It’s a mixed bag, but Saturday the 8th and Friday the 14th are the ones to circle.

Rusty.

Read more