La Nartelle Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s happening. I’ve got to be straight with you – this outlook is a quiet one. We’re looking at a long stretch of flat to tiny, weak surf with poor conditions, so we’re going to be talking about the gaps more than the waves.

The first surf recommendation isn’t until Wednesday the 22nd of July, and even then, it’s not much to write home about. The pattern for the whole 16-day window is dominated by tiny, short-period windswell with next to no energy. The combined swell energy is almost always a measly 1, sometimes hitting 3 or 4, which is about as weak as it gets. The water temperature at La Nartelle is a very unusual 81°, which is a whopping 9° warmer than average for this time of year – that’s a real standout.

Let’s walk through it. Wednesday morning the 22nd, we’ve got a tiny 0.7ft of swell from the ENE with a period of just 3 seconds, and a light NW cross-offshore wind. The water is clean, but the waves are basically non-existent. That afternoon, the wind swings SE and picks up, making it cross-onshore and choppy on that 2ft of junk. Thursday the 23rd is more of the same – tiny clean waves in the morning, then choppy in the afternoon. Friday through the end of the month, we’re looking at days with zero swell and flat conditions, broken only by the occasional 0.7ft or 1ft bump. The wind is often light and clean in the mornings, which is the only positive, but without any swell, it’s pointless.

We’ve got a gap of several days with no real surf at all – from around the 24th of July right through to the end of the month. The first week of August brings no change. The 2nd of August Sunday morning is clean with a slight air, but completely flat. The 3rd and 4th are also flat. Finally, on Wednesday the 5th of August, we see a tiny 0.3ft pulse from the south with a 7-second period – that’s a little more period, but still not enough energy to do anything (combined energy of 1). The wind is light and off-shore, so it’s clean, but the swell is too small to ride. Thursday the 6th of August is the same story: 0.7ft from the south, 7-second period, light cross-shore wind, but still just a ripple.

So, honestly, there is no standout session here. The best on offer is probably the Wednesday morning of the 22nd of July, with that tiny clean swell, but it’s only for the most desperate longboarder on a foamie. La Nartelle is a sheltered beginner spot, and it’s inconsistent, which fits the pattern here – when the swell is this small, the spot just doesn’t fire. It’s a blank run that’s normal for this area given the conditions. The setup is so weak that it’s more interesting for a paddle than a surf.

Keep an eye on the forecasts, though – it tends not to stay poor for long.

Rusty.

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