Arawhata Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for Arawhata over the next couple of weeks.

Alright, straight up, the first week is a bit of a write-off for clean, decent waves. The surf's there, but the wind is just making a mess of things. We've got a long period (15 second) groundswell arriving on Monday the 17th, pushing 7ft from the WSW, but that 22 mph cross-shore wind from the SE is going to turn it into a lumpy, cross-chop disaster. The combined energy is moderate to strong (2337), but you wouldn't know it from the conditions. Tuesday the 18th is a slight improvement with a light breeze, but the wave state is still marginal, with a 6ft swell giving way to a light onshore on Tuesday afternoon. The rest of the week through to Sunday the 23rd is a story of moderate to fresh cross-shore winds, rainy showers, and choppy, poor surf. The swell does pump up to 12ft on Sunday the 23rd, but with a 12 mph cross-onshore, it's just a big, blown-out mess.

The real standout comes in the second week. The wait is worth it. We're looking at Monday the 24th of August as the first real highlight. The afternoon session is the pick: a 10ft WSW groundswell with a very long period of 16 seconds, and a moderate cross-shore breeze from the NW. The combined energy is very strong (9399), and the quality is clean enough for a solid score. This is a big, powerful, well-shaped wave for the experienced crew. The water temp is about average for the time of year, sitting at 57°, nothing unusual there.

Then, the absolute gem of the forecast is Sunday the 30th of August. The morning shows a 10ft WNW swell with a long period of 11 seconds, and a light offshore breeze from the NE. That's clean, defined, and powerful. Combine that with the afternoon's jump to a 16ft NW swell. But the real crown jewel is Monday the 31st of August morning. You'll have a 16ft WNW groundswell, a very long period of 11 seconds, and glassy conditions with zero wind. That's the kind of session that makes you call in sick. The combined energy is massive (6031), and it's described as exceptional for expert surfers. This is a serious, heavy, clean swell.

Arawhata is a reef break, so it's best for intermediate to expert surfers, especially when the swell gets over 8ft. The crowds can be an issue sometimes, so get in early on those standout days. The optimum swell direction is SW, and the forecast swells are mostly from the WSW and WNW, which is a good match.

Overall, there's a long gap of poor conditions until the second week. The last week of August and the start of September is where the magic is, with Monday the 31st being the absolute pinnacle of the forecast.

Rusty.

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