Bay of Plenty Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for the Bay of Plenty over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the first week or so is looking pretty ordinary. We’ve got a bit of swell running through, but it's mostly messy with cross-shore winds and chop. The water is sitting at a warm 73°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, so that's a bonus if you're having a paddle, but the wave quality just isn't there for the most part.

We kick off on Tuesday, the 21st of July, with a 5ft swell from the SE, but a NE wind is putting a cross-on bump on it. The energy is moderate at 598, but the comment says it's marginal, and honestly, it's a bit of a fight for not much reward. Wednesday is similar, with the swell dropping to 4ft and the wind cross-shore, and by Thursday the 23rd, the swell is down to 3ft. We get a bit of a bump on Friday the 24th with a 6ft S swell, but it's short period (8 seconds) and the wind is howling at 22 mph – that's a messy, lumpy day. Saturday and Sunday are a write-off with tiny, poor-quality swell and strong winds.

We hit a real dry spell from the 23rd right through to the 29th of July. There's a few days where the surf is just not worth the paddle out. The best you could hope for is a bit of a knee-high ripple, but it's blown out and choppy.

Now, look ahead to the end of the month. There's a little glimmer on Thursday the 30th of July. The morning is looking glassy – a 3ft SSW groundswell with a long 15-second period and glassy conditions. The energy is high at 972, but it's a small one and the break is a beach/jetty setup, so that long period might make it a bit straight and tricky. Still, it's clean, and that's the best we've seen in a while.

Then we get to the real standout. Hold onto your boards, because Sunday the 2nd of August is looking like a monster. We've got a 13ft S swell rolling in with a 13-second period. The energy is through the roof at 5279. The wind is light and onshore from the ESE, which is a bit of a shame, but the size is there. Be warned though – at 13ft, this is expert territory only. This is big, powerful, and not for the faint-hearted. The same goes for Monday the 3rd of August, with an even bigger 15ft S swell and a 14-second period, energy hitting 12344. That's a massive, powerful ocean. For experienced surfers only, and even then, you need to know what you're doing.

After that big pulse, it settles down. Tuesday the 4th of August still has a decent 8ft SSE swell (1707 energy) with a light onshore wind in the afternoon, but it's still big enough to be challenging. Wednesday the 5th drops to 6ft from the SE, and it's a bit cleaner with a light NE wind.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a bust. The only real standout is the massive swell kicking off on the 2nd of August. That's the one to circle on your calendar if you're an expert looking for a serious challenge. For everyone else, the glassy morning on the 30th of July is your best bet for a clean, small session.

Rusty.

Read more