Arawhata Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s look at what’s on the cards for Arawhata.

Alright, straight up, Wednesday the 15th is the first chance to get wet, but don’t expect any beauties yet. We’ve got a solid 10-foot WSW groundswell rolling in with a very long 15-second period, so there’s heaps of energy in the water (4386). The problem is the wind is a cross-shore from the northwest at 9 mph, which is putting a slight chop on things. The water temp is sitting around 58°, which is pretty normal for this time of year. It’s a reef setup, so that long period swell will wrap in nicely, but the conditions are a bit marginal with the tide. Not a standout.

Thursday the 16th, the swell drops to 8 feet from the W, still a long 15-second period, but the wind picks up, making it choppier. Thursday afternoon gets worse with a cross-onshore wind. The outlook is pretty poor through Friday, Saturday, and into Sunday morning – the wind stays onshore or cross-onshore, keeping things lumpy and messy.

Now, Sunday the 19th afternoon shows a glimmer of hope. The wind swings to the SSE at 9 mph, and we get a clean wave with a 7-foot WSW swell (16-second period, 2265 energy). It’s a cross-shore wind, so the faces will be a bit rippled, but it’s worth a look if you’re desperate.

The first real standout is Monday the 20th morning. This is the best on offer in the first week. The wind drops to an ESE 3 mph, which is a light cross-offshore, and it’s clean. The swell is 6 feet from the WSW, with a 14-second period and 1282 energy. It’s not huge, but the conditions are excellent for experienced surfers. The reef at Arawhata will handle that long-period groundswell well, and it won’t be too big for intermediates. It’s a fairly consistent break, and crowds are only sometimes an issue, so you might get a few waves to yourself.

Tuesday the 21st is almost as good. We get glassy conditions in the morning with a NE 3 mph wind, and the swell is a clean 4 feet from the WSW, 13-second period (633 energy). It’s smaller, so more of a longboard or funboard day, but the glassy surface will make it a pleasure.

After that, Wednesday the 22nd through Thursday the 24th sees a drop in swell quality – the wind goes cross-onshore again, and the period drops to 6-7 seconds, which is short-period wind swell. Not great.

Friday the 24th morning brings a 6-foot swell from the WSW with a 12-second period (847 energy), but the wind is a cross-shore NW at 9 mph, so it’s a bit choppy. Marginal.

The second true standout is Monday the 27th afternoon. A NNE wind at 3 mph gives a clean cross-offshore flow, and the waves are 6 feet from the WSW with a very long 16-second period (1814 energy). The conditions are excellent for experienced surfers, and the reef will focus that groundswell into proper lines. It’s a bit further out in the forecast, so less certain, but it looks promising.

The tail end of the forecast (28th to 30th July) sees a mix of stormy winds and building swell. Tuesday the 28th is a write-off with a risk of thunderstorms and strong NW winds. However, Wednesday the 29th brings a solid 10-foot to 13-foot WSW swell, but it’s onshore. Thursday the 30th morning has an 12-foot WSW swell (12-second period, 3370 energy) with a cross-onshore breeze, making it a bit lumpy. That’s big, expert-only territory, but the wind will mess it up. It might be more interesting for kite surfers than paddle surfers.

Overall, there’s a bit of a gap in quality from the 22nd to the 24th, but the best windows are Monday the 20th morning and Monday the 27th afternoon. Get out there for those.

Rusty.

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