Arawhata Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Grab your board, it’s been a bit of a mixed bag out here at Arawhata, and honestly, for the next stretch, we’re chasing a few windows of clean instead of a full-on epic. This is a reef set-up that’s fairly consistent, but it’s exposed and it’s going to feel every bit of that west-southwest swell. The water’s sitting at 57° right now, which is right about where it should be for this time of year, so no surprises there.

We start off with a bit of a lull, mate. Tuesday the 8th is pretty much a write-off with a gentle cross-shore breeze messing with a 4ft WSW swell. The energy is moderate at best (805). Wednesday morning the 9th looks cleaner with a light offshore and a smaller 3ft swell, but the energy drops right off (295), so it’s not going to have much push. It’s glassy, but small.

Then things get properly chaotic. A big pulse of long-period WSW groundswell hits Thursday the 10th with a strong energy reading (1247), but it’s buried under a fresh onshore breeze and rain. That’s a no-go. Friday the 11th morning, the swell jumps to 10ft with a massive 19-second period and strong energy (6805). That’s a serious, powerful reef wave, but the light cross-onshore wind is going to put a bit of a crumble on it. It’s for the experienced crew only; this one’s big, and the tide looks questionable. By the afternoon, it’s blown out and lumpy.

The weekend is all stormy. Saturday the 12th is maxed out at 15ft with howling onshore winds, same deal on Sunday the 13th. This is not paddle surfing; with that size and wind, it’s a kite zone. We’ve got a blank run of poor conditions from the 14th through to the 19th, with waves ranging from 4ft to 15ft but constantly chopped up by cross-onshore winds. It’s a frustrating stretch where the energy is there, but it’s messy.

The first real standout pops up on Tuesday the 23rd of September. The morning brings a solid 8ft WSW groundswell with a long 16-second period, and the energy is strong (3113). The wind is super light, just a slight cross-shore, so it’s clean. This is the pick of the entire run. Arawhata is a reef, and this long-period swell will wrap in beautifully. It’s not a day for beginners at that size, but it’s a proper session for the intermediates and up. The crowds are sometimes a factor here, so get in early.

Wednesday the 24th morning before that is also worth a look – 7ft of WSW swell and a cross-offshore wind reading clean, but the energy is a bit softer (1899). It’s a solid backup, but the 23rd is the one to circle.

Overall, there’s a lot of junky days to sit through, but that one morning on the 23rd is a gem worth waiting for. It’s a rare clean window in a stormy period, so make the most of it.

Rusty.

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