Arawhata Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again. Let's talk about what's on the menu for the next couple of weeks at Arawhata.

It's a bit of a tough stretch, to be honest. We've got some serious size in the water, but the wind gods aren't playing nice for most of it. The swell is just going to be hammered by strong, onshore winds day after day, making for messy, lumpy conditions. There's a lot of energy out there, but it's not surfable energy for a paddle surfer.

First up, Friday the 28th of August. The swell is a solid 10ft from the NW, with a very strong combined energy of 1953, but the wind is screaming 28 mph from the north. That's a cross-offshore wind, but at that strength it's just too wild. The report calls it "clean" but the score is a 1, so conditions are marginal. Honestly, this is more of a kite-surfing day than a surfing day, and that pattern holds through the weekend.

Saturday the 29th drops down to 4ft from the west, but the wind is a gentle cross-onshore, so it's choppy and not worth getting excited about. Sunday the 30th brings back the big stuff, with 12ft from the WSW, but the wind is howling onshore at 18-25 mph. The wave energy is massive (2196), but it's a total mess.

The whole first week is a write-off. Monday the 31st is the biggest and ugliest, with 16ft from the WSW and a crazy combined energy of 7608, but it's a strong onshore gale. That's a no-go zone. This pattern of big, wind-ravaged swell continues right through to the end of the first week of September.

Now, there's a glimmer of hope. The best window looks to be on Friday, the 4th of September. The morning session has a 8ft swell from the WSW, a very long period of 15 seconds, and a moderate cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is a very strong 5098, and the forecast gives it a score of 4, the highest in the whole run. That's a day for a more experienced surfer. The long period groundswell is going to hold up well at this reef break, but remember, it's a reef, so it's not for the faint of heart. The wind will be clean, so the wave faces should be nice. The water temperature is about average for this time of year.

After that, we get another messy run. Saturday the 5th has a 10ft from the WNW with a short period of 8 seconds and a cross-shore wind, which is a bit of a mess. The following week is a repeat of the same story: sizeable swell, but with strong onshore winds ruining the party. Arawhata is a fairly consistent break, but it's a tricky spot to catch clean.

So, to wrap it up: the main event is that Friday the 4th of September morning. It's your best bet. The rest of the forecast is a long stretch of bad luck with the wind. Don't hold your breath for the rest of it.

Rusty.

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