Napier - Hardings Road Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for our local stretch.

Well, honestly, it’s a pretty grim outlook for the next couple of weeks. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with hardly any surf to speak of. The forecast shows a big gap of several days with nothing rideable right from the start. The water’s sitting at 55°F which is a bit colder than we’d normally expect for this time of year, so you’ll be wanting a decent wetsuit if you’re even thinking of getting in for a paddle.

The first real glimmer of anything comes on the afternoon of Friday the 24th of July, but even then it’s looking poor. The swell is tiny, coming from the north at 3ft, with a short period of 4 seconds and a combined energy of just 28. That’s barely a ripple. The wind is howling from the north at 16 mph, making it choppy and messy. Not worth your time.

Saturday the 25th of July is a bit cleaner, with a strong cross-offshore wind, but the swell is a joke – 0.7ft from the east-northeast with a period of 10 seconds. The energy is weak, only 12. A couple of knee-high lumps might roll through, but it’s really only for the most desperate.

The afternoon of Sunday the 26th of July is similar – 1.0ft from the east, period 10 seconds, energy 17, and clean due to a cross-offshore wind. Still, it’s tiny.

The best, and I mean the *best* of a bad bunch, looks to be the afternoon of Friday the 31st of July. We finally get a bit of a cleaner offshore wind from the southwest at 9 mph, with a tiny 1.0ft swell from the northeast. The period is 6 seconds, so it’s a weak wind swell, but it’s the only time in the whole 16-day window where the wind is actually offshore and the conditions are glassy. The combined energy is a measly 8, so don’t expect anything with any push. This is a real beggars-can’t-be-choosers situation.

Then on Saturday the 1st of August, we get a weird one – a 0.3ft swell from the east with a very long period of 16 seconds. That’s classic groundswell energy, but it’s so small it’s barely going to show. The combined energy is only 11. It’s a long period, so if it were a proper size, it would be better for the points, but with this size, it’s just a teaser.

Honestly, for the next 16 days, there’s nothing here that’s worth a trip. The surf just isn’t showing up. The consistent theme is “poor surf conditions” across the board. Keep your gear dry and wait for a better forecast.

Rusty.

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