Anawhata Road (Oaonui) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this outlook for Anawhata Road (Oaonui) is a long, hard watch. The whole 16-day window is a write-off for decent paddle surfing. This exposed reef break copping a hammering from the wind and swell direction just won’t line up.

Right from Sunday the 30th of August, it’s a mess. We’ve got a solid 10ft to 13ft groundswell hitting all week, with the combined energy reading strong to very strong (between 1663 and 5083). But the wind is howling from the WSW and W at 22 to 25 mph, blowing straight onshore or cross-onshore. That’s creating poor, lumpy, messy conditions. One to four degree water temp anomaly? Nah, we’re skipping that – the surf is just ugly.

The swell stays big – 13ft to 15ft – right through to the 3rd of September, but the wind never lets up. Early September brings a cross-shore wind on Thursday the 3rd, with 10ft to 12ft of WSW swell, but it’s still marginal at best. Then Friday the 4th has a bit of a drop to 5ft to 7ft swell, but the wind’s still fresh and messy. The energy is moderate to strong, but the quality is junk.

Then there’s a gap of several days with no real hope. The swell pumps again on the 5th and 6th of September – up to 13ft with energy readings through the roof (6650 to 13971) – but that’s kite or foil territory. The wind shifts to a cross-off shore on Sunday the 6th, and the surf is described as “clean” for the first time, but the swell is 10ft to 12ft, which is only for experts anyway, and the period is a very long 16 seconds. That long-period groundswell will be breaking too straight on this exposed reef, making it tricky even for the crew who know it. The crowd could be a factor here as it’s “sometimes” busy, but I’d still say it’s not a standout.

The rest of the second week stays poor. From the 7th to the 14th of September, it’s onshore winds and messy surf with swells between 4ft and 10ft. The energy is all moderate to strong, but the wind just kills it. The 14th of September morning has a tiny 5ft swell with onshore winds from the WSW. It’s a flat, windy run to the end.

Honestly, there isn’t one true standout in this whole 16-day window. If you’re desperate, the only half-decent window might be Sunday the 6th of September morning, with that clean cross-off wind and a big, long-period swell. But it’s big, clean for experts only, and that period makes it a handful on the reef. Otherwise, it’s a two-week blank for paddle surfing. Conditions can change, but right now, it’s a no-go.

Rusty.

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