Anawhata Road (Oaonui) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and we’re looking at a pretty mixed bag for the Oaonui region over the next couple of weeks. The forecast kicks off with a window of surf, but there’s a lot of wind and lumpy conditions to work through. The real standout is going to take some patience, but there is one session that looks like it’ll fire.

We start off on Tuesday morning, 18 August, with Anawhata Road (Oaonui) pumping out a 6ft swell from the WSW, and a light SSE breeze making it cross-shore. It’s not perfect, but with moderate wave energy, it’s rideable for the keen intermediate. That afternoon the wind swings onshore from the SW, so the clean-up is gone and it gets marginal.

Wednesday, 19 August, is a write-off. Strong SE winds hit 25 mph in the morning with a messy cross-chop that’ll make you want to stay on the beach. That afternoon the swell drops to 4ft but the period jumps to 16 seconds – a long groundswell that’s better suited for a reef or point, but with a moderate cross-shore chop, it’s hard work. Not worth it.

Thursday, 20 August, to Saturday, 22 August, is a flat or choppy mess. Winds are cross-onshore or cross-shore, with swell heights around 4ft to 3ft and weak to moderate energy. Saturday afternoon actually goes clean with a cross-off wind from the NW, but the swell is only 3ft – barely a ripple for most setups.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting and a bit gut-wrenching. Sunday, 23 August, brings a jump in size – 10ft in the morning, 12ft in the afternoon from the WSW – but it’s a short-period wind swell (9-10 seconds) with fresh cross-onshore winds and lumpy conditions. That’s expert-only territory if you’re brave, but honestly, it looks better for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The combined energy is strong, but the quality is poor.

Monday, 24 August, is the real beast. The swell holds at 12ft from the WSW with a very long period of 15 seconds (groundswell energy through the roof). Winds are moderate cross-onshore in the morning and cross-shore in the afternoon. The afternoon session actually has a marginal rating, but for a reef break like this, that long-period groundswell is going to make it wall up and run. This is your standout for the whole outlook. It’s only for experienced surfers – that size is too big for beginners – and the wind is not perfect, but if you can handle it, this will be the most powerful, memorable wave of the forecast.

After that, Tuesday 25 August has 8ft from the WSW with moderate cross-shore winds and moderate energy. It’s marginal, not as clean as the day before. Wednesday 26 August through to Thursday 27 August sees the swell drop but the wind turns cross-off from the NNW – clean faces, but the energy is still moderate, and the size is inconsistent. Friday 28 August starts with light winds and a 4ft swell, but it’s gone by the afternoon with a stormy SSE wind.

From Saturday, 29 August, all the way to Monday, 31 August, the energy plummets, with tiny swell under 3ft. It’s a dry spell of several days. Tuesday, 1 September, has a surprise – 12ft from the NW in the afternoon, but it’s short-period (9 seconds) and the wind is strong, clean cross-off. Could be a wild card, but it’s too far out to bank on.

The water temperature is sitting at 57°F, which is right around average for this time of year – nothing unusual.

So, the standout is Monday, 24 August afternoon at Anawhata Road (Oaonui). That 12ft WSW groundswell with a 15-second period and moderate cross-shore wind is going to be a heavy, powerful session for the experienced crew. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, so get in early. The rest of the window is either too small, too windy, or too messy.

Stay safe, and keep an eye on the sky.

Rusty.

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