North wall Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, looking at the next sixteen days for Northwall. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, with a long stretch of average to poor conditions, but there are a couple of windows that’ll get the blood pumping.

Right off the bat, the first decent opportunity isn’t until Wednesday the 19th of August. We’ve got a 5-foot swell rolling in from the SE with a period of 11 seconds, carrying a solid moderate energy (636) – that’s got some grunt behind it. The wind is a light cross-shore, so it’ll be a bit lumpy, but the swell is there. The water’s sitting at 68°, which is about 1° cooler than average for this time of year, so nothing out of the ordinary, just a standard early-spring chill.

Then, on Thursday the 20th of August, the morning session is the real standout. We’ve got a clean 5-foot swell from the ESE (8-second period), but the wind swings offshore from the SW at just 6 mph. That’s a game-changer. The wave energy is moderate (272), so it’s not a monster, but it’ll be peeling nicely, with a clean face and no chop. This is the best on offer for the first week—perfect for a beginner to intermediate, but keep an eye on the tide. The water’s still normal temp for the season.

After that, it goes quiet. From Friday the 21st all the way through to Tuesday the 25th of August, the swell drops to under 3 feet, and the winds are mostly onshore or cross-onshore, making for choppy, poor surf. There’s a brief flicker on Tuesday the 25th morning with a clean 2-foot swell and offshore wind, but it’s tiny. That’s a four-day gap with nothing worth paddling out for.

Now, looking further ahead into the second week, we get a double-hit. On Wednesday the 26th of August, the swell jumps to 4 feet from the SSE with a period of 11 seconds in the afternoon, and the wind is a fresh cross-offshore breeze at 19 mph. The energy is moderate (414), and it’s clean, but the wind is pretty strong—this one’s more for the experienced crew. The real prize, though, is Sunday the 30th of August. The morning session is looking epic: a 5-foot S swell with a 12-second period, pushing a strong wave energy (594), and the wind is a light cross-offshore, keeping it clean. That’s a proper groundswell, and it’ll be a beauty. The afternoon bumps up to 5 feet, but the wind goes cross-shore, so you’ll want to get out early.

Crowds at Northwall can be an issue, especially on the better days, but when it’s this inconsistent, you’ll likely have some room to move. The break is a beach/groyne/river setup, very consistent, and it’s exposed to the SE swell, which is the optimum direction for this spot. For the experienced surfers, that Sunday the 30th is the standout—just don’t be late.

Rusty.

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