Waiaha Rivermouth / Honls Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about Honls.

The next couple of weeks are looking pretty quiet overall. We've got a solid, consistent run of small, clean SSW groundswell, but the size is nearly always on the marginal side. The water temp is sitting at 80°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

We kick off with Saturday the 18th. Waiaha Rivermouth / Honls is the only spot, and honestly, it's not much to write home about. You're looking at a tiny 2ft SSW swell at 14 seconds, so the energy is just barely in the moderate range (251). The wind is a light onshore from the WSW, which will keep it a bit bumpy. Not the day to get excited.

Sunday the 19th and Monday the 20th are real duds. The swell drops back even smaller, and the conditions just aren't there. You're looking at a few days of poor surf. Just leave the board at home.

Things start to look a little more interesting from Wednesday the 22nd. We see a solid jump in period on the SSW swell, hitting 24 seconds Wednesday morning and 23 seconds Wednesday afternoon. That's proper, long-period groundswell energy. The combined energy jumps way up (611 to 873), but the wave height is still stuck around 2ft. The wind also stays mostly light and onshore or cross-onshore, so the quality is still questionable. There's power in the water, but it's not translating into sizeable, rideable waves at this break.

Now, here's the standout. Keep your eyes on Thursday the 23rd of July. The afternoon session is the best the whole run has to offer. The swell is still a modest 3ft from the SSW, but the period is a solid 20 seconds, and the energy is strong (695). The real winner is the wind – it goes glassy out of the WSW at only 3 mph. The forecast says expect very good surf conditions. This is the one. If you're free, get out there. It'll be small but clean. It's a reef break and it's fairly consistent, but crowds are sometimes a thing here, so be aware.

After that, Thursday the 30th and beyond are a slow fade. The swell drops off, the period shortens, and we're back to small, weak, and mostly poor surf. The last couple of days of July and into August look like a complete blank with nothing to recommend.

So, to sum it up: don't bother before the 23rd. The 23rd of July afternoon is your best chance, and it’s a good one. After that, the window closes again.

Rusty.

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