La Nartelle Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at the forecast for our little corner of the coast over the next couple of weeks. I’ll level with you straight up: it’s a rough patch. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with hardly any real surf to get excited about. The first swell of any kind is a tiny, weak pulse, and it's followed by a massive gap with nothing. Patience is going to be the name of the game.

The whole outlook starts on Saturday, August 22nd. We’ve got a tiny 0.3ft swell from the south with a short period of 8 seconds. The combined energy of all swells directed here is a measly 1, so barely a ripple. Winds are offshore from the WNW at 12 mph, which would normally be great, but with that little to no surf, it’s not doing us any favours. The water is sitting at 82°, which is *much warmer than normal* for this time of year.

Things don’t get any better for the next few days. Sunday morning (23rd) sees a 1ft swell from the NE with a period of just 3 seconds, and a bumpy cross-offshore wind. The afternoon swings onshore with a weak 2ft E swell. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are all flat or just offering tiny, short-period dribble, with mostly onshore or cross-off winds. The combined energy never gets above 12. This is essentially a write-off.

There’s a slight tease on Thursday, August 27th. The afternoon brings a 3ft swell from the east with a 5-second period, and the combined energy bumps up to 41. That’s still weak, and the wind is onshore at 12 mph, so it’s going to be a mess. Not worth paddling out for.

Then we hit a massive blank. From Friday, August 28th, all the way through to the end of the first week of September, the forecast shows zeros. No swell, no energy. We do get some strong offshore winds on the 29th and 30th (WNW at 19-25 mph) and again on the 4th and 5th of September, but with zero swell, it’s just a howling wind over a flat ocean. It’s the kind of setup that would be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The only spot on the cards is La Nartelle. It’s a sheltered, beginner-friendly break that’s inconsistent, so it tends to be hit or miss. The optimum swell direction is from the east, but the few tiny pulses we get from that direction are too small and weak to do anything.

We do get a couple of glassy mornings on the 3rd of September—calm, offshore winds, beautiful conditions—but with only a 0.7ft to 1.0ft swell from the east and a combined energy of 1, it’s essentially a lake. It’s flat.

So, the honest truth? There’s no standout here. The best on offer is a very distant, uncertain hope. The long-range forecast for the end of the second week shows a couple of slight pulses. On Saturday, September 5th, we get a 1ft swell from the ENE with a 3-second period and a moderate offshore wind. The 6th offers a 2ft E swell with a 3-second period and a clean cross-offshore wind. The combined energy on the 6th is 6. These are tiny, weak, short-period swells. It’s not even enough for a log.

If you’re desperate, maybe the afternoon of the 6th of September gives you a couple of knee-high runners, but don’t hold your breath. For now, the forecast is a blank run. It’s more normal for this area to have these quiet spells, but it usually doesn’t stay poor for long. Forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it.

Stay patient.

Rusty.

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