National Park Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for National Park. Honestly, it’s a bit of a tough stretch coming up. We’re looking at a long, slow start with nothing much to get excited about for the first several days, and even when things pick up, it’s never going to be epic. The water is sitting at 68°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a decent spring suit.

The forecast kicks off on Sunday the 30th of August, but there’s virtually nothing on offer – just a tiny 2ft east swell with a short 8-second period and weak energy (39). The wind is offshore from the SE, so it’s clean, but the swell is too small and weak to bother with. That theme continues right through Monday the 31st and into Tuesday morning the 1st of September. The swell stays tiny, and the wind is either offshore or cross-offshore, keeping it clean, but there’s just no wave power.

We finally see a little pulse on the afternoon of Tuesday the 1st of September. Swell bumps up to 3ft from the east, period stretches to 10 seconds, and the combined energy hits 164 – that’s moderate energy. The wind is a light ENE cross-offshore, so it’s clean. It’s surfable, but it’s ordinary, not a standout. Then it drops right back off again.

Wednesday the 2nd through Sunday the 6th of September is a real write-off. Swell sizes are all under 3ft, periods are short, and the wind is mostly onshore or cross-shore, making for messy, choppy conditions. The energy readings are all in the weak range (below 100). You’d be wasting your time.

Monday the 7th of September gives a little glimmer. A 2ft NE swell with an 8-second period and a light SSE offshore breeze (3 mph) makes for clean conditions in the morning. The energy is only 76 though, so it’s weak. Still, if you’re desperate, you could get a few small ones. The afternoon gets ruined by a cross-shore wind.

The real pick of the bunch, and the only time I’d actually make a plan, is around Thursday the 10th of September. The swell is 4ft from the ENE with a 7-second period, and the combined energy is a solid 160 (moderate). The wind is offshore from the SE in the afternoon, making for clean, lined-up waves. It’s not huge, but it’s the best we’ll see. The morning of Thursday the 10th also has a light cross-offshore breeze from the east, so it’s clean too. This is the window.

Friday the 11th of September gets interesting in the afternoon. The swell jumps to 6ft from the SSE, with a 7-second period and energy of 379 – that’s strong energy. But it’s a risk of thunderstorms, and the wind is cross-offshore. That size is getting into expert territory, especially for a point break. It could be heavy and a bit messy.

Saturday the 12th of September morning has a 4ft east swell, moderate energy (219), and a clean offshore wind from the SE. It’s surfable and decent, but not as clean as Thursday.

From Sunday the 13th onward, it fades back to small, weak swells with offshore winds, but nothing worth writing home about.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a write-off. Don’t bother. The best bet is Thursday the 10th of September, with a clean 4ft east swell and offshore winds. That’s your one window. The Friday the 11th afternoon has more size but is for experts only. Keep an eye on the forecasts, but for now, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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