La Nartelle Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve got to be straight with you—this 16-day outlook for La Nartelle is a bit of a fizzer, honestly. There’s pretty much nothing on the cards that’s worth paddling out for. We’re looking at a long, sad run of tiny, weak, and often onshore conditions, and the first real sign of anything that resembles a wave doesn’t show until around the 11th of July, and even then it’s no winner. There’s a big gap of flat, poor surf right up until then.

So, Tuesday the 7th of July starts off with clean conditions—glassed-off, clear skies, and a light 3 mph NE wind—but the swell is a joke: 0.7 ft from the SSE with a period of just 4 seconds and almost no energy (1). That’s barely a ripple. Tuesday arvo turns cross-onshore and choppy. Wednesday and Thursday are also pretty flat, with the odd 1 ft dribble. The water temp is sitting at a very unusual 77°F, which is a massive 7°F warmer than normal for this time of year—that’s super warm for the area, but it doesn’t help the waves.

Finally, on Saturday the 11th, the morning shows a tiny bump: 2 ft from the east, 4-second period, and still only 14 units of energy. The wind is cross-onshore, so it’s messy. That arvo, the wind picks up to 16 mph onshore, the swell bumps to 4 ft, and energy climbs to 99, but the wind is ruining it completely. Not worth it.

Sunday the 12th morning is the closest thing we get to a standout—and it’s a weak one. We’ve got a light 3 mph N wind making for clean, cross-shore conditions, and the swell hits 5 ft from the ENE with a period of 6 seconds and moderate energy of (196). That’s the biggest swell of the whole forecast, but it’s still short-period and not exactly pumping. It’s a beginner-friendly size, but still a bit small and weak for anyone keen. The break is inconsistent and can get crowded sometimes, so don’t expect much if you go.

From Monday the 13th right through to Wednesday the 22nd, it’s mostly flat or near-flat again. There are a few scraps of clean offshore wind days, like Sunday the 19th arvo when a 16 mph WSW offshore blows over 2 ft of junk, but the swell is pathetic—short period (3 seconds) and only 5 units of energy. There’s just not enough push.

Honestly, this is a bleak run for La Nartelle. The break is sheltered and needs a decent easterly swell to work, and we’re not getting it. If you’re a kite surfer, the strong onshore winds later on might get you interested, but for paddle surfing, leave the board at home. Forecasts can change, but right now, there’s nothing to get excited about.

Rusty.

Read more