Anawhata Road (Oaonui) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let’s get into it. The forecast for the next couple of weeks is looking rough for the most part, with a lot of onshore wind and messy conditions, but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel if you’re patient.

We start with Anawhata Road (Oaonui) – a reef break that needs the stars to align. For the first part of the period, it’s a write-off. Friday the 21st is poor: combo of cloudy sky, 4ft swell from the WSW with a 14-second period, but that W-NW wind at 12 mph is cross-on, leaving it choppy. Wave energy is moderate at 593. Water temp is sitting at 57°, which is about average for this time of year.

Saturday the 22nd is no better – early morning is cross-shore and choppy with 3ft swell, afternoon cleans up a bit with a cross-off wind, but it’s still poor with swell only 3ft. Sunday the 23rd turns wild: swell jumps to 15ft from WNW, period short at 9 seconds, and wind screams 25 mph cross-on. That’s massive energy (3561) but it’s messy – more for the kite crowd than paddle surfing. That trend holds through Monday the 24th morning – 15ft swell from WSW, 15-second period, wind and tide favourable on paper, but the swell is too big for this break for anyone but experts. Energy is through the roof at 15719. The rest of that day and Tuesday drop back to 10ft to 13ft but still cross-on and lumpy.

Wednesday the 26th is marginal at best – 10ft swell, cross-on, just a gentle breeze, but still choppy. Thursday and Friday the 27th and 28th clean up wind-wise with cross-off conditions, but swell drops to 5ft-5ft, energy moderate, and it’s still rated as marginal to poor. Saturday the 29th offers a 10ft swell from NW, short 8-second period, cross-shore and choppy – not great.

Then there’s a gap of only a few days before things get interesting. The real standout is Saturday the 5th of September. Morning session looks excellent – some clouds, 7ft swell from WSW with a very long 16-second period, and glassy conditions thanks to a slight north breeze at 3 mph. Combined wave energy is strong (3761). This is groundswell, and at a reef break like this, it’ll be firing clean lines. Best for experienced surfers as it’s over 5ft, but the glassy texture and quality make it the standout. Crowds are possible here sometimes, so get in early. Afternoon still holds 7ft swell with 16-second period, but a light cross-on breeze creeps in – marginal but still rideable.

Overall, this is a tricky period with a lot of junk to sift through. The early to mid part is mostly blown out or too big, but that Saturday morning on September 5th is your golden window. If you can wait, it’s worth it.

Rusty

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