National Park Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, let’s get into it. It’s Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for National Park. Honestly, the first chunk of the outlook is a bit of a write-off. We’re looking at a solid block of no good surfing from Thursday the 16th right through until late Saturday the 19th. The swell is bumping but the wind is just too strong and cross-off, making a mess of things. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Now, let’s talk about the standout. The real action kicks off on Sunday the 20th of July. That morning, we’ve got a solid 12 ft swell from the SE, with a period of 10 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell. The wind is offshore and clean, so the lineup at National Park should be absolutely firing. The combined energy is pumping hard at 2498 (moderate to strong wave energy). This is a big one, only for the experienced crew. The swell is too big for beginners, and with that size, you’ll want to be on your game. The offshore wind is a major positive, meaning the waves will be clean and well-shaped. The swell direction from the SE is bang on the optimum ENE direction, so it’s going to wrap in perfectly for this point break.

By Tuesday the 21st, the swell drops a touch to 10 ft from the ESE, but the wind stays offshore. It’s still excellent for experienced surfers. The energy is still solid at 1758. By Wednesday the 22nd, it’s easing further to 6 ft, but still offshore and clean. A good option for the intermediate crowd.

After that, the surf drops off, and we get into a patch of smaller, cleaner waves from Thursday the 23rd through the weekend. Swell drops to around 4 ft to 6 ft, with mostly cross-off or light offshore winds. The crowds at National Park are listed as *often* busy, so expect company, especially on the better days. The period is shorter, around 6 to 9 seconds, so it’ll be a bit lumpier and less consistent. The energy is low, mostly in the 100 to 300 range (weak wave energy).

Looking further out, the last week of the month is pretty grim. From the 26th through to the 31st, the wind is mostly onshore or cross-off, and the swell is small and weak. The periods are short (6-8 seconds), and the energy is weak. It’s not looking good for a paddle. Honestly, the setup through that period looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, with the stronger cross-onshore winds and choppy conditions.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is a write-off. The standout is Sunday the 20th and Monday the 21st of July – big, clean, offshore groundswell for the experts. Tuesday the 22nd is a solid fallback. After that, it’s a gradual fade into small, weak surf. Keep an eye on the charts, but for now, I’d be planning on that second weekend.

Rusty.

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