Anawhata Road (Oaonui) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty.

Alright, let’s get into it – the next 16 days at Anawhata Road (Oaonui) are a real rollercoaster. This reef break loves a strong SW swell, but the wind is gonna mess with us for a lot of it. Water temp is about normal for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

Friday morning the 4th starts with a solid 12ft NW swell, but the period is short and the wind is a nasty 28 mph cross-off. Plenty of combo energy (2958), but it’s messy and questionable with the tide. Friday afternoon the wind swings W at 19 mph, cross-on and lumpy – a total dud.

Saturday the 5th brings a bigger 13ft WSW groundswell with a 14-second period, energy ripping at 5602, but the onshore wind is cooking it. Morning and afternoon are choppy, cross-on slop. Sunday the 6th looks a bit better: still a 12ft WSW swell at 16 seconds, energy from 5933 to 6217, but the wind goes cross-off from the NNW. It’s clean, but the tide is marginal – not a standout, but the cleanest so far.

Monday the 7th drops to 8ft WSW groundswell at 15 seconds, energy still decent at 3323, but it’s cross-shore and choppy in the morning, then trashed by a 25 mph cross-shore in the afternoon. Tuesday the 8th, the swell fades to 6ft and 5ft, with onshore wind – weak and messy.

Wednesday the 9th is tiny – 3ft to 3ft – but there’s a clean cross-off ESE breeze in the morning. Energy is low (298), so a micro-swell day for a longboard.

Thursday the 10th gets 7ft W swell, but the period drops to just 7 seconds – wind slop with moderate cross-shore wind. Nothing to get excited about.

Now Friday the 11th – a monster 18ft WSW swell with a 19-second period lights up the combined energy at 21692. This is a very long-period groundswell. It’s way too big for beginners – over 8ft, so experts only. A 19-second swell like this breaks straight at some spots, but this reef could handle it. Problem is, the wind is a near gale cross-onshore at 34 mph – blown out. The forecast says wind and tide are favorable, but the swell is too big for this break.

Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 13th are pumped with 15ft to 16ft WSW swell, but the wind is onshore or cross-on, energy in the 4000-5000 range. Messy and poor. Monday the 14th is still onshore, dropping to 8ft WSW groundswell at 14 seconds, but by Monday afternoon the wind goes cross-off from the ESE and cleans up – a possible late window.

Tuesday the 15th is back to 8ft from the WNW, short period at 8 seconds, and onshore cross-on wind. Not worth it. Wednesday the 16th sees 16ft W swell with 10-11 second period and moderate cross-shore wind – energy 5569, but not clean offshore.

And the real standout is Saturday morning the 19th. Anawhata Road gets a 13ft WSW groundswell with a 19-second period, combined energy of 11907, and a cross-off NNW wind at 16 mph. That’s clean, big, and powerful. Experts only, but this is the best on offer. It’s a week and a half out, so promising but not locked in.

Between the 4th and the 19th, there are dead days – the 8th, 9th, 10th, and 15th are blown out or tiny. But there are enough pulses to keep hope alive. Crowds at this spot can show up sometimes, so stay sharp.

Overall, the pick is Saturday the 19th. If you’re an expert and can wait, that morning is it.

– Rusty

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