Tuncurry-North Wall Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – this 16-day run for Tuncurry-North Wall is a real mixed bag, and honestly, it’s a bit of a frustrating wait for the good stuff. We’ve got a long stretch of flat or tiny, messy waves before a big, powerful pulse shows up late in the game. But that pulse? It’s going to be a proper beast, too big for this spot, so it’s a tale of two halves.

We start off with nothing to write home about. The first week is a write-off for decent surf. From Saturday the 1st right through to Sunday the 9th, it’s all tiny, knee-high slop or less. On Saturday morning, we’ve got a 0.7ft swell from the ENE with a weak 7-second period, and the combined energy is a measly 8 – that’s just flat. The water temp is sitting at 66°F, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there. We get a few moments of glassy conditions on the 6th and 7th, but with barely any swell to push, it’s not doing us any favours. There’s a little bump on Monday the 3rd, with a 4ft SE swell and a combined energy of 367 (moderate), but the wind is cross-on from the north, and it’s all over the place. Not worth getting wet for.

The next gap of really poor conditions stretches through until the 9th. It’s a long, flat spell.

Then, Monday the 10th of August, things start to rumble. We get a 4ft onshore mess in the morning, but the afternoon sees a 7ft NE swell rolling in. The combined energy jumps to 578 (strong), but that NE swell is a short-period 6 seconds, and the wind is cross-off from the west. It’s clean, but it will be a bit lumpy and won’t have much shape. Not a standout, but a sign of things to come.

Tuesday the 11th and Wednesday the 12th stay around the 3ft mark, with clean cross-off winds, but the swell is still short and weak. The best of these average days is Wednesday afternoon, the 12th, when we get a 3ft swell from the east with a 9-second period, light offshore winds from the WSW, and a combined energy of 202 (moderate). It’s clean, but only just worth a look if you’re desperate.

Now, here’s the big one. Thursday the 13th of August, we see a massive 10ft swell from the SE, with a short 8-second period and a combined energy of 1220 (very strong). The wind is cross-off, but the guidance says this swell is too big for Tuncurry-North Wall. It’s expert territory, and even then, it’s going to be a washing machine. That trend continues. Friday the 14th sees 8ft to 10ft swells, Saturday the 15th hits 12ft, and Sunday the 16th peaks with a 13ft swell from the ENE with an 11-second period and an insane combined energy of 4299. The winds are offshore, but these are huge, dangerous waves. This is not a paddle-out for the average surfer. The set-up here is a beach/breakwater, and with that much power, it’s going to be a foamy, messy, powerful shorebreak – more suited to a kite surfer than a paddle surfer, if you ask me.

So, the one moment that stands out as the best on offer, if you have the skills, is the morning of Thursday the 13th. The 10ft SE swell is massive, but it’s the first real pulse of energy. It’s still too big for this break, but if you’re an expert and you know the channel, it might be the most rideable of the big days. The wind is clean, but don’t be fooled – it’s a dangerous, powerful swell. For everyone else, this is a 16-day forecast where the first week is a total blank, and the second week is a big, angry ocean that’s better watched from the car park.

Rusty.

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