Anawhata Road (Oaonui) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let’s have a look at the next couple of weeks for Anawhata Road (Oaonui). This is a reef setup, exposed to the open ocean, so when it gets good, it gets real good. But the start of the period is a write-off. We’re talking galeforce cross-shore winds and big, messy, stormy swell – that’s a no-go for a paddle. You’ll see some solid energy in the water (5858) but it’s all blown out. Thursday the 9th and Friday the 10th are cooked.

We’ve got a bit of a gap here. The first sniff of something surfable comes Saturday the 11th afternoon. The swell drops to 4ft from the SW, but the wind is still a gentle cross-shore, so it’s a bit lumpy. The energy is low (1002) – not worth getting excited about.

Now, Sunday the 12th morning is where it starts to feel like a surf forecast. The wind swings light offshore from the NNE, and we’ve got a clean 5ft swell from the WSW with a long 16-second period. That’s a proper groundswell, and the energy is decent (1040). The water temp is sitting at 59°, which is about average for this time of year. This is a good window for an intermediate surfer – the reef will be handling that long period well, shaping up some nice lines. Sunday afternoon stays clean with a light cross-off breeze, solid.

Monday the 13th drops off quick – swell is tiny, even with a clean wind. Tuesday the 14th brings a new, shorter-period swell (9 seconds) from the WNW, around 6ft to 7ft, but it’s cross-onshore and choppy. Not great.

Wednesday the 15th morning is interesting – a clean cross-off breeze with a 7ft swell from the west, period 11 seconds, and energy over 1800. The forecast says marginal, but the conditions look better than the score suggests. It’s a watch.

Thursday the 16th morning is a standout. Glassy conditions, light rain, and a solid 8ft WSW swell with a 15-second period. The energy is pumping (2686). This is proper groundswell, and on a reef, that’s your ticket. The wind is glassy – that’s as good as it gets. This is for experienced surfers, as it’s over 8ft, but if you’ve got the skills, this is the session to aim for. The afternoon goes lumpy again.

The following week is a mix of smaller, clean-ish swell with cross-off winds, but nothing that jumps out until Thursday the 23rd afternoon. That’s over a week away, so treat it as a promising look. The wind goes offshore from the NE, the swell hits 8ft from the WSW, period 14 seconds, and the energy is huge (3365). This is another big groundswell, clean, and the reef will be firing. That’s the best of the long-range. Friday the 24th morning keeps the offshore flow with an 8ft swell, still clean, but the period drops slightly.

Overall, the first week is a slow burn, but Sunday the 12th and Thursday the 16th are your best bets. The 23rd and 24th look like they could be crackers, but we’ll see how that holds. For now, keep an eye on the glassy Thursday morning.

Rusty

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