National Park Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for National Park.

The next week and a half is a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got some swell early on, but it’s not the cleanest, and then it goes pretty flat for a stretch. The best action is gonna be this Thursday and Friday morning, with a bit of size on offer, but the wind is a cross-off, so it’s clean but not perfect. The ocean’s got a fair bit of energy behind it, with combined swell energy readings around 1208 and 1249 (moderate to strong energy). The water is running a bit colder than normal for this time of year, sitting at 69°, about 2° cooler than average.

Thursday morning (July 9) sees a solid 7 ft SE swell, with a period of 11 seconds, so it’s a proper groundswell. That’s a good sign for this point break setup, as it’ll wrap in nicely. The wind is cross-off from the south at 15 mph, keeping the faces clean. It’s a bit on the bigger side for beginners, but intermediate surfers should have a go. The afternoon drops off slightly to 6 ft, still clean.

Friday morning (July 10) is the standout for the first week. We’ve got the same 6 ft SE swell, with a period of 10 seconds, and the combined energy is up at 1249. The wind is still cross-off, so it’s rideable. The afternoon gets a bit smaller at 4 ft, but the wind turns offshore from the SSE, which is a nice bonus. That’s a proper clean session.

Then the weekend through to the middle of next week is a bit of a letdown. Swell drops right off. Saturday morning (July 11) is only 4 ft, and by Sunday (July 12) the wind goes onshore, and the surf gets messy. From Monday (July 13) through to Thursday (July 16), it’s tiny – under 2 ft most of the time – with weak energy (below 100). There’s a day or two of glassy conditions early Monday, but the waves are just too small to get excited about. It’s a real lull.

The second week picks up a bit, but it comes with strong wind. Friday July 17 is a write-off: 25 mph winds from the SSE, making it tough to paddle, even though it’s offshore. Saturday July 18 sees a proper pulse of swell – 6 ft SE with a 12-second period and combined energy of 936 – but the wind is a strong cross-off from the south at 22 mph, making it lumpy and marginal. That pattern holds through Sunday (July 19) with similar size and wind.

The real standout in the extended forecast, and the one to circle on your calendar, is Thursday July 24. We’ve got a large 10 ft swell from the ESE, with an 11-second period, and combined energy cracking 2017 (very strong energy). The wind is light cross-on from the WSW at only 3 mph, almost glassy. But here’s the kicker: that swell is too big for this break. It’s really only for experienced surfers, and even then, it might be pushing the limits. The following afternoon (Friday July 25) is still big at 8 ft, with a gentler cross-shore wind, but it’s still a heavy wave.

Overall, the best bet is Friday morning (July 10) for a clean, solid session. The Thursday July 24 swell is massive but expert-only and a bit wind-affected. Between those, there’s a lot of small, flat days, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.

Final call: get out Friday morning, keep an eye on that big Thursday swell if you’re an expert, and don’t bother with the flat spells.

Rusty.

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