National Park Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the table for this stretch. We’re looking at a pretty quiet start, but there’s a spike of energy later on that could make it worth your while.

Right now, things are flat. The first real chance to get wet won’t come until Saturday the 25th of July. The overall pattern is a slow build from small, average waves into a punchy, messy window towards the end of next week. There’s a long gap of poor conditions after the first weekend, but don’t write it off entirely.

The standout for sure is National Park on the afternoon of Thursday the 30th of July. That’s the one to circle on the calendar. We’re looking at a solid 7 ft swell coming from the SSE, which lines up well with the optimum ENE direction. The combined energy hits 443 (moderate wave energy), so there’s some real push behind it. That offshore wind from the SSE is going to hold it open and clean. It’s a point break, so it should handle that size well, but at 7 ft, this is definitely for the experienced crew. Beginners, sit this one out. The period is only 7 seconds, so it’s a bit short-period, wind swell, but the offshore wind should tidy it up enough for a good session. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing weird there.

The other runner-up is Friday the 31st of July afternoon. Same break, smaller at 5 ft from the ESE, but still with that SSE offshore wind keeping it clean. Combined energy is 278 (moderate wave energy). Again, short period, but rideable. It’s not as good as Thursday, but it’s a solid backup.

The first decent window is Saturday the 25th of July. The morning is cross-off with a weak 3 ft from the east (241 energy), but the afternoon is where it’s at: 3 ft, same direction, but with a clean offshore wind. That’s your Saturday afternoon session. Sunday the 26th is smaller, with 2 ft and 2 ft, and the wind is cross-off or offshore, but it’s underwhelming.

Then we hit a long dry spell. From Monday the 27th of July right through to Wednesday the 29th, it’s tiny, poor, and not worth paddling out. Thursday the 30th morning is still rubbish with rain and strong cross-off wind, but the afternoon is the big event we talked about.

After that, Friday the 31st is solid, but then Saturday the 1st of August morning is a bit of a mixed bag: 7 ft from the ESE, but cross-off wind and 420 energy. The afternoon is better, with 5 ft and offshore wind. Saturday the 1st is a good second option, but still not as clean as Thursday.

From Sunday the 2nd of August all the way through to the end of the forecast on the 9th, it’s a slow fade. The waves drop, the wind picks up, and it’s mostly poor conditions. There’s a tiny blip on the morning of the 9th with 2 ft from the SE at 12 seconds (169 energy), but that long period (over 11 seconds) at a point break might actually produce a few clean lines if the wind holds. It’s a long shot, but worth a look if you’re desperate.

The bottom line: Thursday the 30th of July afternoon is the clear winner. The rest of the time, it’s a lot of waiting. If you can’t make that Thursday, the Friday afternoon or Saturday the 1st August afternoon are your next best bets.

Stay sharp, and don’t bother with the board until that Thursday.

Rusty.

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