Bay of Plenty Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s lined up for the Bay of Plenty over the next couple of weeks.

It’s a bit of a slow start, but the good news is things do eventually come together. The first few days are pretty rough, with messy cross-shore winds and lumpy conditions making it hard to find anything decent. The swell does build, but the wind just won’t play ball until we get past the first weekend.

The first real window of opportunity shapes up on Saturday, August 1st. The morning is still a bit average with a gentle cross-shore breeze and 6ft swell from the ESE, but the afternoon is where it gets interesting. We’ll see a clean 8ft ESE swell with a light offshore breeze at Bay of Plenty (beach/jetty). That’s a proper beginner-friendly wave, and the light wind will keep it clean. The water temp is sitting at 73°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so a spring suit will do.

Sunday, August 2nd, is probably the standout of the first week. The morning has glassy conditions with an 8ft ESE swell and a 10-second period, making for a decent, punchy wave. The wind is almost non-existent, just a slight air from the NNE, so it’ll be clean and inviting. This is a good one for all levels, though the 8ft might be a bit much for absolute beginners. The combined energy is solid at 1337 (moderate to strong), meaning there’s plenty of push.

After that, the swell drops off and the wind turns onshore, leaving us with a big gap of poor conditions from Monday, August 3rd, all the way through to Saturday, August 9th. It’s a real dry spell with onshore winds and choppy, lumpy surf. Not worth paddling out.

Now, here’s the one to keep an eye on. On Monday, August 10th, we’ve got a real standout morning. The wind goes completely glassy, dead calm, and we’ve got a 7ft swell from the S with a 10-second period. The combined energy is 979 (moderate), and the conditions are forecast to be very good. This is about as clean as it gets for a beach break. The long period means better shaped waves, and the glassy conditions will have it looking like a mirror. It’s a great option for any surfer who can handle a head-high wave.

Finally, on Wednesday, August 12th, the swell really pumps up to 10ft from the S with a 10-second period, and the combined energy hits 1664 and 1985 (strong). The wind is light and cross-shore, but the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. This is expert-only territory, and honestly, with that much power and a beach setup, it might be more interesting for the kite surfers than the paddle crew.

So, to sum it up: the best bets are Saturday afternoon, August 1st, for a clean, user-friendly wave, and the absolute standout is Monday morning, August 10th, for that glassy, perfect 7ft south swell. The long-range stuff on the 12th is for the brave and the experts only.

Rusty.

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