Anawhata Road (Oaonui) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at our local setup for a while. Tell you what, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, but there’s some real magic hiding in there if you’re patient.

We’ve got one break on the radar: Anawhata Road (Oaonui). This is a reef setup, so it really needs the right swell direction and a bit of love from the wind. The water’s sitting at 57.4°F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so nothing to complain about there.

The first real chance to get wet comes Thursday morning, August 6th. It’s small, with 2.6ft of swell from the WSW at 12 seconds, and the wind is a light ENE cross-off breeze. The energy is moderate (241), and it’s clean. It’s not a standout, but it’s a start. That afternoon, the wind goes glassy, NW at 3 mph, with similar swell, 2.6ft WSW at 13 seconds. That’s a lovely little window for a quiet session.

Friday, August 7th, is a write-off. The swell drops to 1.6ft in the morning, and the wind is cranking NW at 9 mph – cross-off but messy. That afternoon, the wind is up to 16 mph from the NNW, and the period drops to 9 seconds. Not worth it.

Saturday, August 8th, is a bit of a tease. The swell picks up to 5.2ft from the WNW, but the period is a short 8 seconds, and the wind is a solid 16 mph from the N. The energy is moderate (443 in the morning, 480 in the afternoon), but it’s just too lumpy.

Sunday, August 9th, the swell jumps big time. We’re looking at 11.5ft from the NW with a period of 10 seconds in the morning. The energy is a massive 3476, and the wind is 25 mph from the N. That’s a lot of power, but it’s messy. This is expert territory, and honestly, for a reef, it’s going to be a washing machine. The afternoon winds ease a bit to 9 mph from the NW, but it’s still 9.8ft with a cross-shore. Not for the faint-hearted.

Here’s where it gets interesting. Monday, August 10th, is a real standout. The swell drops back to 4.3ft from the WSW, but the period goes 16 seconds – that’s solid groundswell. The energy is moderate (836), and the morning wind is a light SSE at 6 mph. It’s a cross-shore, but it’s clean. The afternoon gets a bit windier from the SE, but the morning window is the one. For a reef, this long period will give it some shape and those long, clean lines. It’s not huge, but it’s quality.

Tuesday, August 11th, is another good one. 3.3ft from the WSW at 13 seconds in the morning, with a NE wind at 12 mph that’s offshore. That’s clean. The afternoon is even smaller at 1.6ft, but the period is 20 seconds – very long period. The wind is NNE at 16 mph, still offshore. The energy is moderate (375 and 433). That’s a classic, small, clean day for a reef.

After that, things get a bit bumpy. From Wednesday, August 12th, through to Friday, August 14th, the swell fluctuates between 2.6ft and 11.5ft, with periods ranging from 10 to 19 seconds. The wind is often cross-off or offshore, but the energy climbs (from 615 up to 3160). The size gets big again on Friday afternoon, August 14th, with 11.5ft from the NW, and 19 mph

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