Tuncurry-North Wall Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up at Tuncurry-North Wall.

Right off the bat, things are flat and pretty ordinary. The first week is a real struggle, with hardly any worthwhile waves on offer. We’ve got a run of tiny, weak swell from the east and northeast with low energy and poor surf conditions dominating the outlook. You’ll see a bit of glassy morning calm now and then, like Friday morning and Saturday morning, but the swell is barely a ripple at 1ft to 2ft—nothing to get excited about.

Saturday the 8th is a write-off for any real surfing, with poor conditions and tiny surf. Sunday the 9th morning shows a slight lift to 3ft from the ENE with a 9-second period and moderate energy, but the wind is cross-on, so it’s messy. Sunday afternoon turns ugly: a 6ft NE swell but with a 16 mph onshore wind and high energy, making it a mess. Not worth paddling out.

Monday the 10th morning is the first real flicker of hope. We’ve got a 7ft NE swell with a 19 mph offshore wind from the west, keeping it clean. The energy is solid. It’s still a marginal call, but if you’re keen and experienced, that offshore breeze will tidy it up. Monday afternoon drops off fast.

From Tuesday the 11th through to Friday the 14th, we’re back to tiny, weak swell (2ft to 2ft) with energy in the low range. The wind is mostly offshore or cross-off, keeping the surface clean, but the waves are too small for anything decent. These are "surfable but very ordinary" days—more of a longboard or cruiser session.

Now, Saturday the 15th of August is where things get interesting. We’ve got a 8ft SE swell with a 9-second period and massive energy. The wind is a gentle 9 mph offshore from the SSW, making for clean conditions. This is excellent for experienced surfers only—over 8ft is expert territory. The swell direction from the southeast isn’t the optimum NE for this break, but the power is there. Sunday the 16th and Monday the 17th push even bigger—10ft to 12ft from the ESE with periods up to 12 seconds and energy surging. That’s too big for this break, so it’s a pass unless you’re a big-wave charger with the right gear.

The standout window, in my opinion, is Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th of August. Both mornings show 7ft swell from the ESE with glassy conditions—wind is near zero or light offshore. The energy is strong, and the period is around 9-10 seconds, giving decent shape. This is the best balance of size and cleanliness. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Crowds are likely at Tuncurry-North Wall, so get in early on those glassy mornings. The break is fairly consistent, so there’s usually something to ride, but the first week is a drought. Don’t write the whole window off—once we hit the second week, the swell turns on, and with the right winds, it’ll be worth the wait.

Signing off,
Rusty

Read more