Arawhata Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve got the gen on the local surf outlook for the Arawhata region. It’s been a rough old stretch, but we’ve got a solid window of relief coming.

We’re looking at a pretty average start to this forecast period, kicking off Sunday afternoon the 30th of August. Arawhata, a reef break, is feeling the full force of a big WSW swell, with waves around 10ft but with a terrible cross-onshore wind at 35 km/h. The water temp is sitting at 57°, which is pretty much dead average for this time of year, so no dramas there. The combined swell energy is a meaty 2542, but the wind is just ruining any chance of a clean wave. The whole first week is a write-off, to be honest. Monday through to Friday is a constant barrage of onshore and cross-onshore winds, blowing from 25 to 45 km/h, with swell sizes bouncing between 5ft and 15ft. The conditions are messy, lumpy, and choppy. It’s a full week of no-go zone.

We do get a tiny flicker of hope on Wednesday afternoon the 2nd of September, with the swell dropping to 5ft and a moderate cross-shore wind, but it’s still only a marginal call. The combined energy is just 1631, so it’s weak and not worth paddling out for. The rest of the week is consistently poor.

Then, finally, on Saturday the 5th of September, things start to look interesting. The swell is still a solid 13ft, coming from the WSW, but the wind has eased to a moderate cross-shore breeze at 20 km/h. The combined energy jumps to a massive 12628, which is strong. This is a big, powerful groundswell with a long period of 14 seconds, so the waves will have plenty of energy, but that long period can make a beach break a bit straight. For a reef like Arawhata, it’s a different story. This is the standout of the period. The morning of Saturday the 5th is the one to circle. The wind is moderate cross-shore, and the quality is there for a good session. The afternoon holds similar promise with a 13ft swell and a 15-second period.

The following week gets a bit messy again, with a few poor days of strong cross-onshore winds and big swell, but we’ve got one absolute gem. On Monday the 14th of September, get ready. The morning glass-off is on. The wind is dead calm, a glassy 5 km/h from the west, with a clean 13ft swell from the west, with a very long period of 16 seconds. The combined energy is a huge 7343. This is the big one. The water will be clean, smooth, and the waves will be powerful, long lines. This is a day for the experts, as the size is well over 8ft. Afternoon looks even better for the energy, with a 12263 reading, and a light offshore wind. The whole weekend before that is still a bit iffy, but the 14th is the absolute standout.

Overall, the first week is a complete loss, but we’ve got two solid hits: Saturday the 5th of September and Monday the 14th of September. The 14th is the best of the bunch, with that glassy morning and a massive, clean swell.

Rusty.

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