National Park Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what we've got coming up.

First up, we're looking at the National Park point break. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing out of the ordinary. The best bet for decent waves kicks off on Sunday the 23rd of August. We're looking at a small 3ft swell from the east, with a short period of 8 seconds. The wind will be off or cross-off, keeping things clean. The combined energy is moderate (126). It’s not going to blow your mind – more of a longboard or funboard kind of day – but it's surfable.

Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th are much the same story. Very small stuff, around 3ft to 3ft, still from the east. The wind stays light and clean, so you can get some practice in. The wave energy stays moderate through the week. The swell is small, under 5ft, so it's fine for beginners.

Wednesday the 26th of August sees a tiny bump, still 3ft, but here's the highlight: glassy conditions in the morning. Absolutely dead calm. That’s a major positive, making it a real standout for the period if you just want some clean, small waves to yourself.

Now, Thursday the 27th looks more interesting. We get a jump in wave energy to 4ft in the morning and 4ft in the afternoon from the ESE. The combined energy cranks up to 427 in the morning and 407 in the afternoon – that's moderate to strong energy for our little stretch. The afternoon wind turns offshore, producing "expect good surf conditions". This is your pick of the first week, but the swell is still under 8ft, so it's not just for experts. The crowd factor at this break is "often", so expect some company if you head down for that afternoon session.

The end of August and start of September sees the energy drop off again. Friday the 28th, Saturday the 29th, and Sunday the 30th are back to that small, clean, but ordinary zone. The swell drops right down to 2ft on the 30th, and the wind picks up with a fresh breeze, making it a write-off for a good paddle.

Things get a little more interesting on Monday the 31st of August. The swell is back up to 4ft, but this time it's from the SSE with a very short period of just 6 seconds. That's a short-period windswell, which is going to be a bit bumpy and less powerful than it sounds. The wind is moderate offshore, though, keeping it clean. Another "expect good surf conditions" call. For the rest of the first week of September, it's back to small, clean, and ordinary. There’s a glassy morning on the 2nd of September, which is nice.

From the 3rd of September onwards, it gets a bit messy. Lumpy cross-shore winds kick in, and the swell direction goes more ENE. There are a few pockets of glassy, clean conditions on the 4th and 6th of September mornings, but with a tiny swell of 3ft and 1ft respectively, it's barely a ripple. The 7th of September has a glassy morning with a 2ft swell, but again, very small.

So, the one true standout is Thursday the 27th of August afternoon. The combination of a moderate-strong energy swell (407) and offshore wind giving clean, surfable waves is your best shot. The other mentionable is the Wednesday morning on the 26th, purely for that rare, flat-calm glassy surface, even if the swell is tiny.

If you're looking for a week in the future, the first few days of September are very quiet. There's a long gap with no real recommendations until you get to the end of the first week.

-Rusty

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