Arawhata Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks. Rusty here. Let’s take a long hard look at what’s on offer for Arawhata over the next couple of weeks.

First up, the immediate outlook is a bit of a struggle. We’ve got a solid SW groundswell running, but it’s blowing a moderate cross-onshore breeze out of the WSW, making things choppy and messy. The combined swell energy is a powerful 2108 (moderate energy), with waves around 5ft, but the wind is just ruining the surface. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing to write home about.

We’re going to see a bit of a clean-up on Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st. Tuesday morning is the real standout here. The wind goes glassy from the NE, and the swell drops to a more manageable 4ft, still from the WSW. The combined energy is 531 (weak energy), but the period is a solid 13 seconds, so there’s plenty of push. The waves will be clean and glassy – this is the best session in the near term. Expect a clean, lined-up reef break, but it’s not a big swell, so it’s user-friendly. Crowds are possible at Arawhata at times, so keep that in mind.

The middle of the week (Wednesday 22nd through Friday 24th) gets blown out again. Strong onshore winds and an increase in size make it a no-go for paddle surfing. The swell on Friday afternoon gets up to 6ft from the W, but with a cross-on breeze, it’s just a mess.

Then we hit a real punchy stretch. The weekend of the 25th and 26th gets a big spike in energy. We’re talking 16ft and 13ft from the WSW, with combined energy jumping to 4686 and then 6740 (strong to very strong wave energy). But the wind is howling onshore from the WSW, hitting 28 mph. This is heavy, dangerous, and blown out. This is strictly for big-wave experts, and even then, it’s ugly. For anyone else, this is more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session.

The period from the 27th of July into the 30th is a bit of a lull. We’ve got a few mornings with smaller, clean-ish waves, but nothing that screams “go now.” The wind is cross-off or cross-shore, and the swell is around 5ft to 6ft. It’s surfable, but not the highlight.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The end of the month and the start of August look promising. On the 30th of July, we’ve got an 12ft to 13ft WSW groundswell with a very long period of 14 seconds. The combined energy is 4279 (strong). The wind is cross-off from the N and NNE, so the surface should be clean. This is a big, powerful swell, so it’s only for experienced surfers. The long period (14-15 seconds) means the sets will be well-spaced, which makes paddling out easier, but it can also make the waves sectiony at a beach break. At Arawhata, a reef break, it should hold up nicely.

The absolute best on offer looks to be the 31st of July. We’re looking at a 13ft swell from the WSW, with a very long period of 15 seconds. The combined energy is a massive 7264 (very strong). The wind is a strong offshore from the NNE, blowing at 28 mph. This is a classic, powerful, clean, offshore day. The waves will be solid, clean, and well-shaped, but that offshore wind is howling, so paddling in will be a real battle. This is an expert-only day. The following days (August 1st and 2nd) back off the size, but stay clean as the swell drops. The 3rd of August looks like a nice, clean, smaller day with 4ft and light winds.

So, to wrap it up: the best bet for the average surfer is Tuesday morning the 21st for clean, glassy, smaller waves. For the big-wave hunters, set your alarm for the 31st of July, when the offshore winds and a massive, long-period groundswell will be on offer, but it’s a serious one.

Rusty.

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