Arawhata Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. We’ve got a solid 16-day window ahead for Arawhata, but it starts with a bit of a wait. The first decent surf doesn’t kick in until Sunday, July 12, so you’ve got a quiet Saturday to fix the dings and sort the quiver.

The overall pattern is dominated by a long-period WSW groundswell, mostly holding in the 14 to 16-second range, which means proper energy and good shape. The combined energy values are telling a big story: most of the quality sessions are in the moderate to strong range, with a couple of barnstormers pushing well over 2000 – that’s serious power. The water temp is sitting around 59°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The standout of the whole run is hands down Thursday morning, July 16. It’s a low point of the week for many, but this is where it all comes together. Glassy conditions, an 8ft WSW swell at 14 seconds, and it’s a classic expert-level session. This is the one to circle. The combined energy is a massive 2615 – that’s a lot of water moving. If you’re not an experienced surfer, this one is for the big boys only.

Before that, Sunday morning, July 12 is a beauty. Clean 5ft WSW swell at 16 seconds, with a light E breeze keeping it cross-off. The energy is 1116, so it’s got some punch but remains manageable. The afternoon goes glassy with a 5ft swell, a perfect post-lunch window. Monday the 13th is a write-off with strong winds, so skip it.

Tuesday the 14th is a bit of a mixed bag – the swell jumps to 5ft–6ft but the period drops to 8 seconds, which is short-period windswell, not the same quality. The energy is moderate (500–686), but it’s marginal. Wednesday the 15th sees the swell building hard: 7ft in the morning (energy 2934) and 10ft in the afternoon (energy 3995). That’s a lot of juice, but the wind is messy and cross-shore, making it more of a kite-surfing show than a clean paddle session.

After Thursday’s high point, Friday the 17th through to the end of the first week gets rough with cross-onshore winds and choppy conditions. The energy drops off, and the swell stays around 6ft–6ft, but the wind ruins it. The big 13ft spike on Saturday the 18th is from the SSE with a short 9-second period and strong cross-shore wind – a total no-go.

The second week settles down a bit. Tuesday morning, July 21 is a sleeper: offshore ENE breeze at 10 km/h, clean 4ft WSW swell at 13 seconds, and the energy is 821. It’s not huge, but it’ll be fun and uncrowded. The afternoon is also clean with a light NNW cross-off. The rest of the week is a mix of poor conditions and small swell, with the best being a tiny 2ft glassy session on Friday morning, July 24 – only for the longboard or the patient.

If you’re after the best, it’s Thursday morning, July 16, for the powerful, glassy, expert-level session. Sunday, July 12 is the best for the everyday surfer.

Rusty.

Read more