Waiaha Rivermouth / Honls Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what we’ve got on the table for Honls. It’s a bit of a quiet stretch overall, but there are a couple of moments if you’re patient.

The Overall Picture

We’re looking at Honls over the next couple of weeks, and honestly, it’s a mixed bag. The bulk of the period is filled with marginal conditions and questionable tide states. The combined swell energy is moderate, sitting between 411 and 931 for most of the first week, but the wind is rarely your friend. You’ll see a lot of cross-on and onshore breezes chopping things up. There’s no real standout quality for the first week. We’ve got a blank run for most of the first 10 days or so where it's just not worth paddling out.

Tuesday 21st July – Thursday 24th July

The forecast kicks off on Tuesday afternoon with a 3 ft south swell, but with a 15 km/h cross-shore wind, it’s not doing us any favours. The water temp is sitting at a normal 80°, right about average for this time of year. Wednesday and Thursday see the swell dropping to 2 ft - 3 ft, mostly from the SSW, but the wind swings onshore and cross-onshore, making for a fairly choppy surface. The combined energy is noticeable at 642-835, but without clean wind, it’s a no-go.

Friday 25th July – Tuesday 29th July

Friday to Tuesday keeps the trend of small, marginal surf. Swell heights hover around 2 ft to 3 ft from the SSW, but the wind is problematic. We get a mix of light onshore and cross-onshore breezes, and the wave period drops from 20 seconds down to 14 seconds. The combined energy fades from 819 down to 245, showing a definite loss of power. The conditions are simply poor to marginal.

Wednesday 30th July – Monday 4th August

By the end of July and start of August, we see the direction shift a bit. Friday the 31st brings a 3 ft west swell with a 13-second period, but the wind is cross-shore, limiting the appeal. The combined energy picks up slightly to 506. However, the real highlight comes on Monday the 4th of August. This is the one to circle on your calendar. For the Monday morning session, we get a glassy 2 ft SSW swell with a 14-second period and no wind. Combined energy at 373 is still modest, but that clean, glassy surface is a rare treat in this outlook. It’s the standout window for a sneaky, clean paddle. Tuesday morning is also worth a look with a cross-shore 2 ft SSW swell (combined energy 375), but the glass on Monday morning is the best on offer.

The Final Standout

If you’re picking one true moment, it’s Monday the 4th of August. The forecast conditions are clean, glassy water on a small but workable SSW swell. It’s not going to be pumping, but for a quiet, uncrowded session, it’s the best we’ve got in this 16-day run.

Rusty.

Read more