Arawhata Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it—this stretch ain’t firing like you’d hope. There’s a heap of big, angry swell with dirty wind, and most of the sixteen days are a write-off. You’ll have to be patient and pick your moments. The water temp is sitting right on average for the time of year at 57.7°, so no surprises there.

We kick things off on Saturday the 1st of August morning at Arawhata (reef) , but it’s a tough ask. There’s a big 9.8 ft swell from the WSW, with a period of 13 seconds, packing a solid punch of energy (3482). The wind is screaming from the SE at 25 mph, which is cross-off, so the faces might be clean, but that much wind and that size—over 8 ft—means it’s only for the experts. The combined energy is strong, but the conditions are marginal, and the tide is questionable. Honestly, it’s a “look but don’t paddle” scenario unless you’re really good and have a death wish. The afternoon gets worse, dropping to a 2/10 score with the wind turning cross and the surf getting messy.

Sunday the 2nd is a no-go. The swell drops to 5.2 ft in the morning, but the wind is howling onshore from the WSW at 9 mph, making it lumpy. The afternoon is a little better with a 4.9 ft swell and light wind, but it’s still cross-on and weak (667 energy). Not worth a paddle.

Monday the 3rd and Tuesday the 4th are pure junk. The swell jumps back up to 8.2 ft–9.8 ft, but the wind is a fresh cross-onshore breeze at 22 mph, creating a lumpy, blown-out mess. The period drops to just 8 seconds on Monday, so it’s short-period wind swell—no shape, all chop. Tuesday’s afternoon session has a 6.9 ft swell with a 15-second period, but the cross-shore wind at 19 mph destroys any chance of clean surf.

Now, here’s a tiny window. Wednesday the 5th morning is your best bet in the first week. The swell is a manageable 4.6 ft from the WSW, with a 13-second period, and the wind is light from the east at 9 mph, cross-off and clean. The energy is moderate (770). It’s not a standout, but it’s the only time you’ll get a half-decent wave without being blown off your board. The afternoon gets a bit cross-shore, so stick to the morning.

Thursday the 6th is tiny—2.0 ft swell—and the wind is glassy in the afternoon, but there’s just no power. Not worth the drive.

Then we get a shift. Friday the 7th morning brings a new pulse from the NW at 4.9 ft, with an 8-second period, but the wind is offshore from the NE at 9 mph, clean. That’s clean, gentle offshore, and the spot is a reef, so it’ll hold the shape. The energy is low (360), but the conditions are good. The swell direction is NW, and the optimum for Arawhata is from the SW, so it’s not perfect, but the offshore wind makes it rideable. The afternoon gets bigger at 6.2 ft, but the wind picks up to 19 mph, so it’s fickle.

Saturday the 8th morning has a similar story: 8.2 ft from the NW, 8-second period, with a clean cross-off wind from the north at 9 mph. The energy is moderate (991). Again, it’s a bit big for beginners, but the reef will handle the short-period swell. Crowds are “sometimes” possible here, so you might get a few locals out.

Now, the real standout is Sunday the 9th morning. The swell drops to 3.3 ft from the WSW, but the period stretches out to a very long 15 seconds. That’s groundswell energy, and it’ll wrap beautifully into the reef. The wind is light from the north at 9 mph, cross-off and clean. The energy is moderate (648). This is the pick of the entire forecast—clean, long-period waves, perfectly manageable size, and the direction matches the optimum. It’s the one session you should pencil in. The afternoon is similar but with a bit more wind.

After that, the week two window goes quiet. Monday the 10th has a clean 3.3 ft morning, but it’s weak. Tuesday the 11th through Thursday the 13th is mostly blown out or tiny. There’s a brief glimmer on Friday the 14th morning, with glassy conditions and a 4.6 ft

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