Damp Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next couple of weeks are looking bleak for a decent paddle at Damp. There’s a big gap of nothing but flat, poor conditions stretching from now until the 23rd of August. We’re talking over a week of no real surf on offer, just clean but empty lineups and offshore breezes that are going to waste. It’s the kind of stretch that tests your patience.

The water temp is sitting around 66°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t be freezing while you stare at the flatness. The first hint of anything shows up on the morning of Sunday the 23rd – a tiny 0.6ft bump from the north with a weak 3-second period and a combined swell energy of just 1. That’s barely a ripple, and the light offshore wind will keep it clean, but it’s not worth getting wet for.

After that, it’s back to nothing for a few more days. The wind swings around to the east and picks up through the 24th and 25th, with onshore breezes up to 22 mph. The surf stays flat, so we’re looking at blown-out, messy conditions with no waves to speak of. This is more of a kite-surfing window than anything else – if you’ve got a kite, that’s your time.

Things finally shift on the afternoon of Wednesday the 26th. We get a tiny pulse of 1ft from the southeast, with a 3-second period, and the combined energy bumps up to 7. It’s still weak, but the wind turns northwesterly as a cross-offshore, keeping the surface clean. Damp is inconsistent at the best of times, and this is no exception – you’ll be waiting for sets, but there might be a rare little crumb to push around on a sandbar.

After that, we slide back into the quiet again. The offshore winds hang around through the 27th, 28th, and into the 29th, but there’s no swell behind them. By the 30th, light cross-onshore breezes from the southeast creep in, but it’s still flat. The long-range picture doesn’t offer any real hope, and with a break this inconsistent, a blank run like this is pretty normal.

Bottom line: there are no good surf options in this 16-day window. The only faint glimmer is that tiny pulse on the 26th, and even that’s a long shot. Keep the board in the car, but don’t hold your breath. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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