Bay of Plenty Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Let's talk about the Bay of Plenty stretch – a beach and jetty setup that's pretty consistent and forgiving for beginners, though crowds can show up now and then. The water's about 72°F right now, which is bang on average for this time of year – no weirdness there.

The outlook kicks off on Sunday the 19th July with a clean morning. Swell's 6 ft from the SSE with a 12-second period, and the glassy conditions mean it's looking real nice. The combined energy is sitting at 950 (moderate), so there's punch but not overwhelming. That's a solid session for anyone, though the size might push beginners a bit. After that, the week turns messy. Monday through Wednesday see the swell sticking around 4–6 ft but the wind gets cross or onshore, chopping things up. By Thursday the 23rd, a fresh S wind clocks in at 19–22 mph, swell jumps to 7 ft but with a pathetic 6–8 second period – that's just wind slop, and the energy is still moderate (798). Not worth paddling out. Friday the 24th shows a brief improvement with a clean morning: 4 ft from the S, 10-second period, light cross-off breeze, combined energy 366 – weak but clean. Still, nothing special.

Then we hit a dry spell. From Saturday the 25th through to Friday the 31st, it's mostly small, messy, or wind-blown. There's a few glimpses of glass on the 29th Wednesday morning – 3 ft, ENE, 9 seconds – but it's tiny and weak. The energy barely cracks 400. Honestly, for a week and a half you're better off waiting.

Now, the real standout lands on Saturday the 1st of August. Early morning, the Bay of Plenty cleans right up with a glassy calm. Swell is 8 ft from the SSE, period 11 seconds – that's a proper groundswell. The combined energy jumps to 1991 (strong), so there's plenty of grunt. This is excellent surf, but the size and power mean it's only for experienced surfers. The direction is SSE, real close to the optimum SE, so the waves should line up nicely on the jetty. The glassy wind makes it a dream. Afternoon goes cross-on and choppy, so get it early. There's also a possible follow-up on Monday the 3rd August morning: glassy again, 7 ft from the NE, but the period's only 7 seconds – short and crumbly. Energy moderate (1118), still decent but not as good as Saturday. The NE direction is far from the preferred SE, so it'll be less consistent.

Overall, the best bet is that Saturday 1st August morning. The rest of the window is mostly forgettable, so if you can, mark that date. The Bay of Plenty often bounces back, so don't write off the whole run – but for now, that's the pick.

Rusty out.

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