Anawhata Road (Oaonui) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, your local surf reporter, bringing you the full picture for the Oaonui area on the Taranaki coast.

Right now, the water temperature is sitting at 58°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so don't expect any surprises when you get in.

Honestly, the first few days are a bit of a write-off. We've got some decent size swelling, but the wind is just a mess. Sunday the 2nd and Monday the 3rd are a no-go with onshore winds making a mess of the 6ft to 10ft plus swell. Tuesday the 4th and Wednesday the 5th are still struggling with lumpy conditions from the southeast winds.

Things start to tidy up a little from Thursday the 6th with clean, smaller 2ft groundswell from the southwest, but the energy is weak (210) and the waves are tiny. A few clean but very small days follow through to the weekend.

Now, mark your calendar for Monday, 10th of August. That morning, the wind goes offshore and light, and we've got a clean 4ft groundswell from the southwest. The energy is ramping up (806), and the forecast is calling for very good surf. This is our first real standout option and a good one to sneak a session on.

The following Tuesday, 11th of August, is looking even more special for a lunchtime paddle. By the afternoon we have glassy conditions, light winds, and a nice long period 3ft to 3ft swell. That’s a window of clean small waves.

Then, hang on tight, because from the 12th of August we see some serious size build. Wednesday the 12th brings a 10ft southwest swell with a moderate period and fresh offshore winds. The energy goes strong (2663+). This is big, expert-only territory. The swell stays over 8ft and solid through to Thursday the 13th, with the combined energy peaking at a massive 3731. For experienced surfers only.

The real payoff, and my pick for the absolute best of this outlook, comes on Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th. On Friday, we have a clean 5ft southwest groundswell with a nice long period of 14 seconds and light offshore winds. The combined energy is very solid (1430+). The forecast says "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers." This is the one. Anawhata Road (Oaonui) will be a reef break handling this long period groundswell perfectly. Just keep in mind this spot is fairly consistent, but the crowds can show up sometimes when conditions are this good.

The run continues into Sunday the 16th of August, with a solid 10ft swell and very high energy (4324) and offshore winds. Another top-notch day for the experts.

We then close window with Monday the 17th of August. There’s a risk of thunderstorms and a massive 12ft westerly swell with ridiculous energy (7855). The wind is cross-off and not ideal, but if you are a hardcore charger that setup is one for the books.

So, to sum it up: there’s not much worth chasing until Monday the 10th. The true standouts are the clean, moderate swell days on Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th. For the big wave crew, Sunday the 16th is the main event. Stay safe out there.

Rusty

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