National Park Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here with a look at the upcoming surf. We've got a classic tale of two weeks ahead at National Park: a massive, powerful pulse that's really only for the brave or the experienced, followed by a long, slow fade out.

The week kicks off with a serious dose of energy. We're looking at a big southeast groundswell pushing through on Thursday the 16th with solid 10ft faces (combined wave energy of 1240), but that south-southeast cross-offshore wind at 25 mph makes it a battle. The water is sitting at 69°, which is pretty much average for this time of year.

Friday the 17th is where it gets interesting for you fellas with some nerve. The morning drops to a still-chunky 6ft from the southeast, but the game-changer is that clean offshore wind. The swell period is short at 6 seconds, but that wind will put a nice face on it. This is your best window for a paddle if you're solid on your feet. The afternoon gets messy again.

The weekend is a full-on washing machine. Saturday and Sunday see the swell pumping at 10ft to 12ft from the southeast (combined wave energy hitting 1180 up to a thumping 2556). That's expert-only territory. While the wind is offshore at times, that's a lot of water moving, and this point break will be handling a ton of juice. Monday the 20th keeps that 12ft SE pulse going (combined energy 2157) with hard offshore wind. A true grunt session for the heavy crew.

After that, the energy slowly backs off. Tuesday the 21st afternoon and Wednesday the 22nd are the real standouts for the intermediate crew. We've got 8ft and 6ft dropping from the east-southeast with clean, light offshore wind. This is where the point will start to offer some proper, grindy walls without the terrifying power. The water is still clean, and the crowd factor is going to be there – this spot is often busy, and on these days, you'll want to be early.

From Thursday the 23rd onward, things get small and slow. The swell drops under 5ft, the periods are short, and the energy is weak. We get a few surfable 4ft days on Friday the 24th, but it's ordinary. After that, from about the 26th of July through the 29th, it's flat. A solid 4 or 5 day gap with hardly a ripple, just tiny 1.0ft – 2ft slop. Useless for a paddle.

There is a tiny blip on the 30th of July with a 5ft SE swell (combined energy 216), but it’s short-period and looks messy. That's over a week away, so keep an eye on it, but don't hold your breath.

So, the takeaway: if you're an expert, Friday morning the 17th and Monday the 20th are your heavy days. For everyone else, target Tuesday afternoon the 21st and Wednesday the 22nd for the best quality on a dropping swell. After that, it’s a long stretch of small fry.

Stay safe out there,
Rusty.

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