National Park Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s talk about National Park. It’s a point break that’s exposed to the swell and fairly consistent when it gets going, and it really likes swell coming from the east-northeast. Water temp is running about 69°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so nothing out of the ordinary there.

The start of this run is a slow grind. Friday the 24th kicks off with weak, small waves around 3ft from the east, with a short 8-second period. The wind is a cross-off southerly at 12 mph, so it’s clean, but the combined energy is only 133—weak. Friday afternoon improves a little with a light offshore from the SSE, but the swell drops to 3ft, so still pretty ordinary. Saturday the 25th is more of the same: some clouds, cross-off wind in the morning, and the swell barely hits 4ft. The afternoon gets a gentle offshore from the SSE with 3ft east swell, but the period is short at 8 seconds, so it won’t really fire. The combined energy does jump to 289, which is moderate, but it’s not a standout.

Sunday the 26th is a real bummer—swell drops to 2ft and then 2ft, with energy down to 59 units. The morning is glassy, but there’s no push. Monday and Tuesday are even worse, with swell barely reaching 1ft, and periods all over the place—including a 12-second period on Monday afternoon that sounds good but only has 0.7ft of swell. Energy is in the 20s and 40s, so you’re looking at flat spells.

The first week is a total washout. There’s a gap of several days here with no real surf to speak of. Don’t bother.

Things start to shift around Thursday the 30th. Thursday afternoon brings a jump in swell to 6ft from the SSE, but it’s a short-period 6-second wind swell, and the combined energy hits 316—moderate. The wind is offshore from the SE at 16 mph, so it’ll be clean, but that short period means it’s going to be a bit of a jumbled mess on the point. It’s marginal.

Friday the 31st and Saturday the 1st of August are a mixed bag with rain showers and strong cross-off winds at 19 mph, and the swell holds around 5ft to 6ft, but the period is still short (6-7 seconds). The energy is moderate to strong (376, 274, 239), but the wind is too strong and not fully offshore, so it’s going to be blown out.

Now here’s the real gem. Sunday the 2nd of August is the best session in the whole window. The swell is 5ft to 6ft from the east, with a 7-second period, and the wind is offshore from the SE at 12-16 mph. The combined energy is solid—229 to 301—and the forecast says “expect good surf conditions.” The point will be handling that east swell nicely, and with clean offshore winds, you’ll get some fun, lined-up waves. Crowds are often here, so expect some company, but the quality will make it worth it.

Monday the 3rd and Tuesday the 4th are also very good, with consistent 5ft to 5ft east swell, decent 7-8 second periods, and light to moderate offshore or cross-off winds. The energy stays in the 275 to 369 range, so there’s good power. These are solid runners-up.

Wednesday the 5th has a bit more energy (514 units) with 5ft swell from the SE, but the wind is cross-off and it’s marked as marginal—still, it’s a strong swell. The morning of the 7th of August is also a sneaky good one: 5ft from the SE, 8-second period, with a light offshore from the SSE at just 3 mph. That’s glassy, clean, and will have some nice shape on the point.

The second week, from the 3rd of August onward, is looking more promising. The swell is more consistent, the winds are better, and the energy is there. The real standout is Sunday the 2nd—that’s your day. If you can only paddle out once, make it that one.

Rusty.

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