Kahutara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s cut straight to it. The next 16 days are a bit of a mixed bag, but there’s definitely some quality to be found if you’re patient and pick the right windows. The first couple of days are small, but things start to build from Tuesday, and the back half of the period has some serious grunt.

The standout stretch looks like the weekend of the 16th and 17th, with a real pulse of south swell and clean conditions. Also keep an eye on the 21st, which looks powerful and clean, though the wind gets a bit tricky in the afternoon.

Alright, let’s break it down day by day.

We kick off Saturday afternoon (Aug 8) at Kahutara with a modest 3.6ft south swell, and it’s glassy and clean. The water’s at 50.0°F, which is about average for this time of year. It’s a soft start, but the conditions are there.

Sunday the 9th stays small, around 3ft, but the morning has a light cross-off breeze keeping things clean. The afternoon glass-off looks tempting, but the surf’s still pretty ordinary.

Monday the 10th drops a touch more, 2.6-3ft, with a cross-off wind in the morning turning offshore in the afternoon. Not much energy behind it, though.

Now, Tuesday the 11th is where it starts to pick up. The morning session sees 4.3ft of south swell with a light glassy wind – that’s your first proper surf of the week. The period is a short 8 seconds, so it’ll be a bit lumpy, but it’s clean. The afternoon gets crossed up with a cross-on breeze, so morning is the call.

Wednesday the 12th is a big step up. The swell jumps to 6.2ft in the morning, building to 7.2ft by the afternoon, but the direction shifts to the ENE with a short, 6-7 second period. That’s a lot of lumpy, disorganised energy. The wind stays light and cross-off, so it will be clean, but this is more for the experienced crew. This is getting serious.

Thursday the 13th drops back down to 3.6-4.3ft with a mix of ENE and E swell. The morning is clean with a light cross-off, but the afternoon is crossed up and a bit mushy. Not a standout.

Friday the 14th sees 3.6ft of east swell, with a glassy morning that looks inviting. The period is a touch longer at 9 seconds, giving it a bit more push. The afternoon gets a bit messy with a cross-shore wind.

Saturday the 15th is a write-off for the most part. Only 3.3ft of east swell, and the S wind picks up strong in the afternoon, bringing rain and choppy conditions. It’s a beach and reef setup, and with this wind, it might be more interesting for the kite crew than for us paddle surfers.

Now, here’s where it gets good. Sunday the 16th is a proper standout. The morning sees 5.2ft of south swell with a clean offshore wind, and the energy is solid. But the afternoon is the real gem: 7.2ft of south swell with a 10-second period, light cross-off wind, and the combined energy is massive. That’s strong, clean, and powerful. This is the session to circle on the calendar.

Monday the 17th keeps the good times rolling. The morning has 4.3ft of south swell with glassy conditions – perfect. The afternoon drops to 2ft, but the period stretches out to a very long 16 seconds. That’s a true groundswell, and while it’s small, it’s clean and glassy. That long period will make it push hard at the reef.

Tuesday the 18th is a mess. Strong SW winds at 19-22 mph blow through, making things uncomfortable despite the swell. The morning is small at 3.3ft, the afternoon bumps to 5.2ft, but with that wind, it’s not worth it.

Wednesday the 19th brings the biggest swell of the period – 9.8ft in the morning with a 10-second period. That’s a serious amount of water, and the combined energy is huge. This is only for experts, and even then, it’s going to be heavy and challenging. The wind is a fresh cross-off, so it’ll be clean, but it’s a beast. The afternoon drops to 6.2ft, still sizeable.

Thursday the

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