La Nartelle Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s shaping up over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, I’ve got to be straight with you – this is a tough run. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with barely a ripple for days on end. The first real chance of anything surfable doesn’t even show up until the very end of the outlook, and even then it’s nothing to write home about. It’s one of those quiet periods where the ocean just seems to switch off.

We start off with a few tiny bumps on Sunday the 2nd of August. There’s a feeble 0.7ft swell from the south, but with a 4-second period, that’s just wind chop. The water is a balmy 82°F and sitting at a massive 8°F warmer than normal – that’s a really unusual anomaly for the time of year. But the surfing is non-existent. The wind is all over the shop, mostly onshore or cross, and the combined energy is a pathetic 1. It’s a no-go.

This nothingness just drags on. Monday the 3rd, Tuesday the 4th, Wednesday the 5th... the swell heights barely tickle 3ft on Tuesday afternoon, but with a strong onshore easterly wind at 12 mph, it’s junk. The combined energy hits only 35 (weak). There’s a brief moment of glassy conditions on Thursday morning the 6th, but the swell is 0.3ft – you’d need a ripple to count that as a wave.

From Friday the 7th right through to Saturday the 15th of August, it’s a total blank. Day after day of zeros in the energy column. The wind does swing offshore or glassy at times, particularly on the mornings of the 11th and 13th, but there’s simply no swell to work with. It’s a flat spell.

The only glimmer of hope arrives on Sunday the 16th of August. The afternoon kicks up to a 3ft swell from the east, with a 5-second period. The combined energy is 42 (weak), and the wind is a moderate cross-onshore at 12 mph. That’s not clean, but it’s something. Then on Monday the 17th, we get a 1ft swell from the south-southeast early on (period 7 seconds, energy 23), and by the afternoon a 3ft easterly swell (period 4 seconds, energy 34) with a gentle onshore breeze. It’s the least bad of the whole outlook, but it’s still poor surf conditions across the board.

The only break we’ve got on the radar is La Nartelle. It’s a sheltered, beginner-friendly spot that’s inconsistent. With the swell direction coming from the east or south-east, it’s not hitting the optimum easterly direction that works best for the place. And the crowds are “sometimes” around, so you might have company even on these tiny waves. But honestly, the whole setup is more interesting for a kite than a paddle this fortnight.

Rusty

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