National Park Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been looking at the charts for our local stretch. Honestly, it’s a pretty lean run ahead. We’ve got a decent little window early on, but then it goes quiet for a long stretch. Let’s break it down.

We kick off on Saturday, 29 August at National Park. The water temp is sitting at 68°, which is a bit colder than what we’d normally expect for this time of year. That slight chill is a bit of a buzzkill, but the waves are rideable. Swell is a tiny 2 ft from the east, with a short 8-second period – not much push behind it, and the combined energy is weak (50). The wind is a moderate offshore out of the southeast, so the surface will be clean. It’s surfable, but nothing to get excited about. This spot is a point break that’s fairly consistent, and it’s exposed to the east-northeast, which is the optimum direction. Crowds are often here, so expect company.

Sunday morning, 30 August, is a write-off with rain showers and poor surf. But Sunday afternoon brings a spike: swell jumps to 6 ft from the southeast, though the period drops to a short 6 seconds. The combined energy ramps up to moderate (260). That’s a lot of bumpy, short-interval energy. The wind is a moderate offshore from the south-southeast, making it rideable, but it’s not going to be pretty. The wave comment says “expect good surf conditions,” but honestly, with that short period, it’s going to be a bit of a mess. It’s an intermediate-level wave, so maybe for the keener crew.

From Monday, 31 August through to the end of the forecast, it’s a long, grim slog. The next 14 days are almost entirely poor surf. The swell drops back to tiny 1.0 ft to 2 ft, with periods all over the shop – some short, some longer (like 10–12 seconds), but the energy is weak (mostly under 100). The wind is often onshore, cross-shore, or cross-onshore, and the comments are all “poor surf conditions” or “surfable but very ordinary.” There’s a brief moment on Thursday, 10 September morning with a 1 ft swell from the southeast and a longer 12-second period, wind offshore, but the energy is still weak (53). It’s catchable, but not a standout.

The only real highlight is that Sunday, 30 August afternoon, despite the short period, has the biggest swell of the whole outlook. That’s your best bet. If you’re after a paddle, that’s the session. The rest of the 16 days is a flat spell, with no real quality on offer. The area is known for this kind of blank run, so don’t stress – forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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