Anawhata Road (Oaonui) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a reef break that’s been a bit of a letdown to start. The forecast for Anawhata Road (Oaonui) is pretty grim for the first week or so. We’re looking at a solid run of poor surf from Thursday the 20th of August all the way through to the middle of the following week. The wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore, and the swell is around 3 ft to 5 ft, but it’s accompanied by a messy wind state that’s just not worth paddling out for. The combined wave energy is moderate for the first few days, around 376 (moderate) to 961 (moderate), but it’s all just chop and lumpy conditions. The water temp is sitting at 57°, which is about average for the time of year, so nothing to complain about there.

Things start to look a little more interesting around the 27th of August. The wind swings to a cross-off from the north, giving us a clean window. The swell picks up to 8 ft out of the west, with a period of 13 seconds. That’s a solid, long-period groundswell, and the energy is strong at 2211 (strong). This is a standout window for the more experienced crew. The clean conditions will be a welcome change, but keep in mind this is a reef break, so that long period will be working well here.

The real highlight, though, is shaping up for the 4th of September. We’re looking at a Friday morning with glassy conditions and an 12 ft swell from the WSW. The period is 11 seconds, and the combined energy is a massive 3003 (very strong). This is the best on offer. The wind is glassy, the water is clean, and the swell is solid. It’s a big one, over 8 ft, so this is strictly for expert surfers. The reef will handle that long-period energy beautifully. The crowd profile is “sometimes,” so you might have some company, but it’s far from a circus.

The lead-up to that is a bit of a mixed bag. The 30th of August and 31st of August have some clean, offshore wind windows, with swell around 7 ft to 8 ft. The 31st of August Monday morning looks pretty good, with a light offshore breeze and a 7 ft swell from the WSW, but the period is a short 7 seconds, so it’ll be a bit fat and less powerful. The energy is moderate at 836 (moderate). The 1st of September Tuesday morning is glassy but tiny, with only 2 ft of swell. Not worth the drive unless you’re on a log.

Overall, the first week is a write-off. The 27th of August is a decent clean-up day, but the standout is the 4th of September. That’s the one to circle on the calendar. The forecast is reliable for that kind of timeframe, and it’s looking like a proper session.

Rusty.

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