Drakes Estero Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what Drakes Estero has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, it's a bit of a slow start. The first few days aren't really doing much for us. Tuesday afternoon (August 4th) has a weak 3ft swell from the WNW, but the wind is on it and the energy is low (244). That's a no-go. Wednesday through Friday is all tiny, weak, and mostly messy. We're looking at a few days of nothing worth paddling out for.

Things start to look a little more interesting by Saturday morning, August 8th. We've got a small 2ft swell from the SSW with a long 18-second period, and a light offshore wind from the WNW. The energy is moderate (336) and the conditions look clean. It's small, but those long-period lines and glassy conditions might make for a fun, mellow session on a longboard.

The standout, and the real highlight of the whole window, is Sunday morning, August 9th. A solid 8ft swell from the NW rolls in with a very strong energy (1550). Now, that's a bit of size. The period is a short 9 seconds, which is a windswell, so it might be a bit crumbly, but the wind is offshore (cross-off from the NW). For a beach/river mouth setup like Drakes Estero, that size is pushing into expert territory – it's going to be powerful and a bit wild. This is definitely not for beginners. The crowd here is "sometimes" so you might have some company for the best ones.

Monday morning, August 10th, holds some decent leftovers. The swell drops to 6ft from the WNW, still with a short 9-second period, but the energy is still strong (609). The wind is a light offshore, so the morning should have some clean, punchy sets. It's a good follow-up to the Sunday swell.

By Tuesday, August 11th, the swell is holding around 6ft, but the wind picks up to 19 mph from the NW. It's still cross-off, so it'll be clean, but the fresh breeze might make it a bit of a battle. The water temperature is sitting at 55°F – that's a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so a thick wetsuit is a must.

After that first week of action, the second week really drops off. The swell fades quickly, and while there are a few mornings with clean conditions (like August 16th with a 3ft, 16-second period swell from the SW), the size is just too small to get excited about. There's a lot of wind in the afternoons, and the wave energy is moderate at best. The end of the window on August 19th has a tiny 2ft swell with a long 16-second period and a light offshore wind, but it's a long wait for a knee-high wave.

So, the best call is Sunday morning, August 9th, for the biggest, most powerful swell of the period. Get on it early if you're an experienced surfer. Monday morning is your next best bet for a slightly smaller, cleaner session.

Rusty.

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