National Park Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright crew, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s happening at National Park over the next couple of weeks.

It’s a slow start, no two ways about it. The first couple of days, Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st of July, are barely alive. Thursday afternoon you’ve got a tiny 1ft east-southeast groundswell with a 13-second period, but the combined energy is a weak 69, and that cross-off wind is just gonna mess it up. Friday is more of the same with a jumpy, short-period 2ft east swell at 7 seconds. The water temp is 69°, which is about 1° cooler than average for this time of year – just a bit of a winter chill.

Saturday the 1st of August sees a bit more push, with the swell hitting 5ft in the morning from the south-southeast, but it’s still short-period at 6 seconds. The energy climbs to 232, which is moderate, but the rain and cross-off wind keep it from being any good. The afternoon drops to 4ft with offshore wind, but it’s still ordinary.

Here’s the one to circle on your calendar. Sunday the 2nd of August. The morning brings a solid 6ft of east-southeast swell with a 7-second period and combined energy of 293. The wind is offshore from the southeast, and conditions are looking good. But the real winner is Sunday afternoon. The swell drops to 2ft, but the period jumps to a huge 16 seconds, and the combined energy hits 684. That’s a strong, long-period groundswell. With offshore wind, it’s going to be clean and lined up. National Park is a point break, exposed to the east-northeast, and this swell is from the southeast, so it’s not perfect, but with that much energy and glassy conditions, it’ll be the best session of the whole outlook.

Monday the 3rd keeps the good times rolling with 3ft to 3ft of south-east groundswell, 12-13 second periods, and light offshore breezes. Energy is still solid in the 367-381 range. It’s clean and fun, but not as epic as Sunday.

After that, it’s all downhill. Tuesday the 4th drops off significantly. The energy falls to 147, and the swell is a weak 2ft. You’ll get a glassy morning but the waves are ordinary. From Wednesday the 5th all the way through to Thursday the 14th of August, the swell is tiny, mostly under 3ft, with very low combined energy readings (often under 100). The wind is a mess of cross and cross-off directions, and sometimes onshore. There are a few glassy moments on the mornings of the 7th and 9th, but with only 2ft to 2ft of weak, short-period swell, it’s barely worth getting wet. The energy on the 9th is only 71.

So, here’s the bottom line: the first few days are a total write-off. Sunday the 2nd of August afternoon is the absolute standout. Monday the 3rd is a good backup with cleaner, smaller waves. After that, expect a long, flat lull of poor conditions. The second week is a dud unless you’re just after a paddle.

Rusty.

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