O'Neills Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's get into it.

First up, this is a tough 16-day stretch for O'Neills Bay. The region is a West Auckland beach-and-reef setup that's fairly exposed to the SW, and it's going to cop a lot of wind and swell. There's a long gap of poor conditions at the start, with the first real chance of a surf not showing up until the 20th of September.

The water temp is sitting at 59°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

The first week and a half is a write-off. Between the 10th and the 19th of September, it's a constant barrage of cross-onshore winds and big, messy lumps. On the 11th, the swell pumps up to 12 ft with a 19-second period, and the combined energy is a massive 8022 (moderate to strong), but with a 22 mph SSW wind, it's just a nasty, lumpy windswell. It's too big for beginners and with that wind, even experts aren't going to have fun. The 12th and 13th keep the size up around 10 ft to 13 ft, but the wind stays onshore or cross-onshore, keeping it choppy and messy. Through the 14th to the 19th, the swell stays in the 6 ft to 12 ft range, but the wind is relentless. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing for most of that period.

Then, finally, on the 20th of September, we get a window. The Sunday morning shows an 12 ft SW swell with a 15-second period, and the wind switches to a light SE at 9 mph, which is cross-offshore. The combined energy is very strong (5380), and the conditions are described as clean. This is a standout for experienced surfers. The afternoon gets even better: the wind drops to 3 mph from the SSE, going glassy, with the same 12 ft WSW swell. The energy is still strong (4648). This is the best on offer in the whole forecast. The swell is over 8 ft, so it's strictly for experts, and the long 15-second period will make it a bit walled up at the beach, but with that offshore-to-glassy wind, the reefs might hold up nicely.

After that, the 21st drops to 8 ft but the wind is back onshore, and the 22nd and 23rd see the swell bumping back up to 10 ft-12 ft with cross-onshore winds, putting it back in the poor category. The 24th and 25th of September offer some marginal windows with lighter winds, but the swell is still big and the periods are long, so it's a gamble.

So, to sum it up: the 20th of September, Sunday morning and especially the afternoon, is your one true standout. The rest of the 16 days is a battle with the wind and size. For the rest of the region, it's a long wait.

Rusty.

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