National Park Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s look at what’s on the menu for National Park over the next couple of weeks.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but the pattern is looking up. The first few days are surfable but not something you’d rush out for. The real standout is shaping up for the very end of the month and into the first week of September. The water’s running a touch cooler than usual for this time of year, sitting at 68°F with a anomaly of -2°F, so it’s a bit colder than normal.

National Park is a point break that’s fairly consistent and exposed to the ENE. The optimum swell direction is from the ENE, which is a good match for what we’re seeing.

Monday 24th August kicks things off with a small 4ft swell from the ENE, period of 7 seconds. The wind is light offshore from the ESE, so the morning session is clean. The combined energy is weak (135). It’s surfable, but very ordinary. The afternoon stays clean with a gentle offshore breeze, same 4ft but shifting to the east.

Tuesday 25th and Wednesday 26th are a write-off. The wind goes cross-shore and cross-onshore, with swell dropping to 3ft – 3ft. The conditions are poor. Not worth paddling out.

Thursday 27th sees a bit of a turn. The morning is clean with a cross-offshore breeze from the SSE, but the swell is only 3ft from the east. The afternoon looks better with a moderate offshore wind from the SSE and a 3ft NE swell. Surfable, but still small.

Friday 28th and Saturday 29th are looking cleaner with gentle to moderate offshore winds from the SE. Swell is around 3ft – 4ft from the east, with a short 7-second period. Combined energy is moderate (183 on Friday, 126-159 on Saturday). It’s surfable, but not a standout.

Now, Sunday 30th August – here’s where it gets interesting. The morning is small and clean with a 2ft SSE swell, but the afternoon is the first real highlight. The swell jumps to 5ft from the ESE with a very short 6-second period. The wind is a moderate offshore from the SE, and the combined energy hits 246 – moderate. The conditions are good and clean. This is the first time we’re looking at something decent.

Monday 31st August keeps the energy up. The morning brings a 6ft ESE swell, period still short at 6 seconds, but the wind is cross-offshore. The combined energy is strong at 287. The afternoon is cleaner with a moderate offshore wind and a 5ft ESE swell. Good conditions.

Tuesday 1st September is the real standout. The morning sees a 7ft swell from the east, period 7 seconds, with a gentle cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy jumps to 457 – strong. The afternoon is similar with a 6ft east swell and 391 energy. This is big, powerful, and clean. It’s getting into the 7ft range, so it’s only for the experienced crew. The short period means it’ll be a bit crumbly, but with that much energy and offshore wind, it’ll be fun.

Wednesday 2nd September is still good. A 5ft east swell in the morning, dropping to 4ft from the ENE in the afternoon. Clean conditions with light offshore winds. Energy is still strong at 307 and 258. A solid session.

From Thursday 3rd September onwards, the swell fades. Thursday morning is 4ft from the ENE, clean, but the afternoon gets a cross-shore wind and turns poor. Friday 4th starts nice and glassy with a 2ft NE swell, but the afternoon goes cross-shore again. Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th are small, clean, but weak – 2ft to 2ft, with energy dropping below 100. Not worth the drive.

Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th September are a bust – cross-onshore and onshore winds, poor conditions, and small weak swell.

So, the best bet is the period from Sunday the 30th of August through to Wednesday the 2nd of September. The standout is without a doubt Tuesday 1st September, with that 7ft east swell, offshore wind, and strong energy. It’s a long-range call, but it’s looking promising. The water is a bit colder than normal, so throw a hood on if you’re heading out.

Rusty.

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