Anawhata Road (Oaonui) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for our patch. Right now, the surf is pretty quiet, but there’s a solid run of waves coming our way, kicking off Wednesday morning. The water temp is sitting at 14°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing to complain about there.

Anawhata Road (Oaonui) is the only show in town, and it’s a reef break that’s fairly consistent. It really lights up with a solid SW swell, and we’ve got a beauty coming through.

Wednesday morning, August 12 – We’re getting a tiny 3ft groundswell from the WSW, with a very long 16-second period. The energy is low (314) though, so it’s more of a gentle paddle. But the wind is a light ENE breeze, offshore, so the waves will be clean. It’s a mellow start.

Wednesday afternoon – Similar story, with 2ft swell and still offshore, glassy conditions. Nothing to get too excited about, but it’s a nice way to ease in.

Thursday morning, August 13 – Now we’re talking! The swell jumps to 4ft from the WNW, but the period drops to 10 seconds, so it’s a bit more local. The energy is moderate (571), and the NNE wind is a moderate offshore breeze. The waves will be clean and with some push. This is a solid option for intermediates.

Thursday afternoon – The swell builds to 5ft from the WNW, with a 12-second period, and the energy is strong (1043). The wind switches to a north cross-offshore, keeping things decent, but the tide might make it a bit tricky.

Friday morning, August 14 – This is a standout. The swell is 4ft from the WSW, with a long 16-second period, and the energy is strong (1002). The wind is a glassy SSE breeze, so it’s dead calm. The waves will be clean and lined up, with those long-period gaps making it easier to get out. This is excellent for experienced surfers.

Friday afternoon – The swell drops to 3ft, and the wind swings to a cross-shore, making it a bit messy. Not the best.

Saturday morning, August 15 – The swell pumps up to 7ft from the WSW, with a 16-second period, and the energy is very strong (2498). But the wind is a light cross-onshore, so it’s a bit bumpy. This is starting to get big for beginners, and the conditions are only marginal.

Saturday afternoon – 7ft swell, same direction, but the wind is a moderate cross-onshore, making it choppy. Poor.

Sunday, August 16 – We’ve got 7-7ft swell, but the wind is a strong cross-shore, creating a messy, lumpy mess. The energy is very strong (2839), but this is only for experts, and it’s not looking fun.

Monday, August 17 – The swell backs off to 6ft, with a 14-second period, and the energy is strong (1513). The wind is a light cross-shore, so it’s still a bit lumpy, but manageable.

Tuesday, August 18 – 6ft swell, with the wind as a moderate cross-offshore in the morning, keeping it clean. The energy is strong (1192). Afternoon gets cross-shore again.

Wednesday morning, August 19 – Another standout! The swell is 5ft from the WSW, with a long 16-second period, and the energy is strong (1092). The wind is a glassy WNW breeze, so it’s dead calm. This is excellent for experienced surfers, with clean, lined-up waves.

Thursday morning, August 20 – 5ft swell from the WSW, with a 14-second period, and the energy is moderate (950). The wind is a glassy north breeze, so it’s clean and fun.

Friday morning, August 21 – The swell drops to 4ft, with a 13-second period, and the energy is moderate (473). The wind is a cross-offshore, keeping it clean.

From Saturday, August 22, onwards, the swell fades to 2-3ft, and the wind gets messy. The energy is low (176-511), and the conditions are mostly poor. There’s a gap of a few days with no real surf.

Thursday morning, August 27 – A late pulse appears with 5ft swell from the W, but a short 9-second period, and the energy is moderate (520). The wind is a fresh cross-offshore, so it’s clean, but the period is short.

Overall, the best windows are Friday morning, August 14 and Wednesday morning, August 19 – both with glassy winds and clean, long-period groundswell. Get out there!

Rusty.

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