National Park Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for National Park over the next couple of weeks. It’s gonna be a slow start, so don’t be in a rush to get the board off the racks just yet.

We’re looking at a pretty quiet opening stretch. The first few days have some tiny waves rolling in, but they’re just not doing much. Tuesday the 28th is a non-starter with a weak 1.0ft to 2ft ESE swell and a bit of a cross-off breeze. It’s clean, but there’s hardly any energy (47 to 58 combined energy). The water is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, sitting at 68°, about a degree below average. Wednesday and Thursday are similar – small, weak, and not worth paddling out for. The period is short and the energy is low, so you’re better off doing something else.

We do get a bit of a pulse on Thursday afternoon, with a 1.0ft swell but a long 13-second period coming out of the ESE, and the wind goes offshore from the SSE. That’s a very clean looking window, but the swell is just too tiny to get excited about. We’re talking about a weak energy reading of 73. It’s surfable, but barely.

The real waiting game starts now. There’s a long gap of several days with no real recommendations. Friday the 31st and Saturday the 1st of August bring a bit more size, up to 3ft and 4ft, with offshore winds, and the combined energy finally climbs into the triple digits (106 to 137). But the period is still short (6 to 7 seconds), and the conditions are just “ordinary.” It’s not terrible, but it’s not calling you out of bed.

Sunday the 2nd of August is where the forecast starts to get interesting. The swell picks up to 5ft from the east, with a 7-second period, and the morning is clean. But the real standout is Sunday afternoon: the wind goes offshore from the SE, we get a solid 4ft of east swell, and the combined energy jumps to 381. That’s a moderate energy reading, and the wave comment says “expect good surf conditions.” This is your first real window of the outlook.

That trend continues into Monday the 3rd of August, with offshore winds and a clean 4ft east swell. The energy is still solid at 254. Tuesday the 4th and Wednesday the 5th have a bit less size, but the offshore flow holds, so the waves will be clean and rideable, just not as powerful.

Now, the real highlight for this whole forecast period is Saturday the 8th of August. This is the one you want to circle on the calendar. Both morning and afternoon are looking prime. The swell is 5ft to 5ft out of the SE, with a nice long 11-second period, and the wind is light offshore from the SE. The combined energy is massive: 669 in the morning and 525 in the afternoon. The wave comment says “expect very good surf conditions.” This is a proper groundswell, and with that long period, it’s going to wrap nicely into the point. The offshore breeze will keep it super clean. For intermediate surfers, this is a winner. Just be aware that with a swell this size and quality, it’s likely to get crowded at National Park, as it’s often busy.

Sunday the 9th of August still has some decent leftover swell (4ft, SE, 9-second period) and clean conditions, but the energy is dropping. The following week looks like it fades back into smaller, less reliable surf with some messy wind directions, so don’t sleep on that Saturday.

So, to wrap it up: the start is a flat, boring wait. The first real surfable day is Sunday the 2nd of August, but the standout, the one to get excited about, is Saturday the 8th of August. That’s the day you want to be out there.

Rusty.

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