Arawhata Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Arawhata. This reef break – a classic SW-facing setup – has a November to April window but right now, well, it’s a mixed bag. Water temp’s sitting at 57°, which is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

The 16-day window kicks off with a flat start. Friday morning on the 7th of August you’re looking at a tiny 2ft SW swell, with a 12-second period. It’s clean but the combined energy is only 91 (weak). Winds are cross-off from the NNW, but it’s hard to get excited about a knee-high dribble. That afternoon, it’s a bit more size at 2ft from the W, but the wind jumps to 25 km/h and it’s messy. Honestly, not worth paddling out for.

Saturday the 8th sees a jump to 5ft on the morning, WNW direction, but the period’s short at 8 seconds and the wind is up. The combined energy hits 392 (moderate), but “marginal surf” is the call. Same story on Sunday the 9th – a big 13ft NW swell rolls in, with a 10-second period and massive energy (6834 – strong), but it’s raining and the wind is cross-shore. That’s a lot of water moving, but it’s going to be a messy, closed-out mess. Maybe one for the kite crew, not for paddle surfing.

Monday the 10th is a long-period groundswell, 4ft from the WSW with a 16-second period, but the wind is cross-on. The energy is 959 (moderate), but the conditions are choppy. Not great.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The standout window is Thursday the 13th of August. Morning brings a 7ft W swell with a 13-second period, combined energy of 1568 (strong), and offshore winds from the NNE at 15 km/h. The file says “excellent surf for experienced surfers.” That’s a proper, clean, lined-up reef wave. The afternoon holds at 6ft, still offshore, still clean. This is the best on offer – a true standout. Friday the 14th is also solid: 7ft from the NW, 9-10 second period, offshore winds, and energy in the 1300s. Another good day for the experienced crew.

We get a bump on Saturday the 15th with a 13ft W swell and a 14-second period, but the wind swings NW at 25 km/h, cross-shore, and it’s raining. That’s a lot of power (6510 energy), but it’s just too messy. Sunday the 16th is even worse – 12ft to 13ft, strong onshore winds at 30 km/h, and lumpy. Kite territory again.

The second week is a bit of a gamble. Tuesday the 18th of August shows a 6ft WSW swell, 14-second period, with light winds, but it’s cross-on. Energy is 1258 (strong), but the conditions are marginal. Thursday the 20th has a 7ft WSW swell, 13-second period, with a gentle cross-shore breeze from the SE. Energy is 1810 (strong) – it’s promising, but less certain. Friday the 21st is a bit smaller, 5ft to 5ft, with long periods (14-15 seconds), but the winds are light and cross or onshore. The gap after the 14th is a few days of poor surf, then a few glimmers of hope.

Heads up: Arawhata is a reef break, so those long-period swells (over 15 seconds) can be a bit straight at the beach, but here they’ll set up nicely. Crowds are “sometimes” – so you might have company on the good days, but it’s not always packed.

Bottom line: Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th of August are your best bets. The rest of the window is either too small, too windy, or too big and messy. Get out there on the 13th.

Rusty.

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