National Park Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here.

Honestly, the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper surf. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak, and pretty ordinary waves, with the first real chance of anything decent not showing up until the very end of the month. The water’s a bit colder than usual for this time of year, sitting around 68°, which is over two degrees off the norm – you’ll feel that in a shorty.

The early part of the run, from this Friday right through to next Wednesday, is all about small, weak surf. The swell’s mostly hanging around the 3ft to 4ft mark with a short, weak period of 7-8 seconds. The energy is low too, with combined readings mostly in the low 100s and even dipping into the 80s and 90s (weak energy). It’s surfable, sure, but it’s not going to get the heart rate up. There are some bits of glassy, offshore conditions in there, especially Saturday and Sunday mornings, but it’s just too small to get excited about. The period is short, so it’ll be a bit crumbly and lack punch.

The first hint of something better arrives on Thursday the 27th, when the swell bumps up to a still-modest 5ft in the morning, building a little into the afternoon to 4ft from the NE, but with more energy behind it (280-288, moderate wave energy). The SSE offshore wind that afternoon is a good sign, and the model is calling for “good surf conditions,” but it’s still not a standout. The period is only 8 seconds, so it’ll be a bit softer, but it’s a start.

That small, clean spell runs into the weekend. Then we get another little pulse kicking off on Sunday the 30th of August, with the swell dropping to 3ft but the period stretching out to 9 seconds and energy picking up a touch (96-97). That’s still not a huge amount, but the offshore SE wind should keep it clean.

Now for the one and only true standout on the whole board: Monday the 31st of August. This is the one to circle. The swell jumps up to 7ft in the morning and settles at 6ft in the afternoon, but it’s coming from the SE with a short, 6-second period. The energy is solidly strong (294-324, moderate wave energy) and we’ve got a good SE offshore wind all day. This is the biggest, most powerful surf of the window, and it’s the one that holds the most promise. At 7ft it’s getting into the size where beginners should be cautious, but for the intermediate crew, this is your day at National Park (Gnaraloo). It’s a point break, and with that SE groundswell, it should line up nicely. The crowd factor is “often,” so expect a few others out there for this one.

After that, the energy fades but stays more interesting than the start. Tuesday the 1st of September is still decent, with 6ft early and a 6-second period, but the wind turns cross-off, making it a bit less clean. The best of the second week, looking less certain but promising, is the morning of Wednesday the 2nd and especially Thursday the 3rd of September. Thursday morning looks like the gem: 4ft of swell but with a long 10-second period (a proper groundswell) and the wind going completely glassy, calm. The energy is up at 240 (moderate wave energy). For a point break, that long period is ideal – it’ll have real shape and push through.

The window closes out with a run of poor, onshore and cross-shore junk from the 4th of September onwards, with winds picking up and the swell getting chopped up. Not worth your time.

So there you have it. A lot of small stuff to paddle through, but if you want the one to set the alarm for, it’s that Monday the 31st of August. Then keep an eye on that glassy Thursday morning a few days later. The forecast for the second week is always a bit less certain, but it has potential.

Stay stoked, catch you out there.

Rusty

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