La Nartelle Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next two weeks are looking pretty bleak for a proper paddle. There’s a big dead stretch coming up, especially from the 19th through most of the 24th. You’ll be staring at a lot of flat, small, or just messy conditions. For the most part, we’re looking at waves under 3 feet, and the energy in the water is weak, with combined swell energy readings mostly in the single digits or low double digits, like 11, 15, or 71, which just isn’t enough to get the heart racing. The few little pulses that do show up are short-period windswell, nothing that’s going to hold a decent wall.

The water is warm though, at 83° on the 19th, which is well above average by about 9°. That’s a big deal, so if you’re just going for a swim, it’s lovely. But for surfing, the setup is a beach-and-reef affair (sheltered, mind you), and with the lack of size and a lot of cross or onshore wind, it's honestly looking more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing for much of this.

Let’s walk through it. Thursday the 21st sees a slight bump in the afternoon, around 4ft from the south, with a 6-second period. The energy jumps to a moderate 95, but the wind is cross-offshore. It’s surfable, but you’ll be scratching for the odd one, and it’s far from a standout. Friday the 22nd and Saturday the 23rd are back down to almost nothing, with a bit of cross-onshore junk. Sunday the 24th afternoon picks up a touch to 4ft from the east, but it’s onshore and the energy is still only 71, so it'll be lumpy.

The real gap comes after that. From the 25th of August all the way through to the 2nd of September, it’s basically flat. I’m talking nothing on offer, with swell energies at zero or close to it. It’s a massive blank run of about nine days. You’ll see a few days with a tiny knee-high slop, but it’s not worth getting wet for. The west winds do pick up at the start of September, getting strong and offshore, but there’s no swell to push, so it’s just a washout.

Then, on the 3rd of September, there’s a faint glimmer. It’s not a day to get excited about, but it’s the best we’ll see. Morning brings 1ft from the east-northeast with a 6-second pulse. That’s short period, so it won’t have much push. The wind is light and cross-off, so it’s clean, a bit glassy. But the energy is a weak 6. It’s going to be a long paddle for a slow, close-outy wave. At this size and with this inconsistency (La Nartelle is an inconsistent spot anyway), it’s still firmly a beginner's only game. It’s not a standout. There is nothing in this 16-day window that deserves a “get there” call. The conditions look normal for the area, but the sea is just not cooperating. I’ll be watching for any change, but for now, this is a write-off.

Rusty.

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