Kahutara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let’s size up what’s heading our way for Kahutara.

The next week or so is a mixed bag. We’ve got some fun little windows of clean surf, but the real fireworks are stacked in the second week, with some serious size and power rolling in. There are a few days early on that are worth a paddle, but patience will pay off for the big stuff.

We kick things off this Saturday afternoon, the 5th of September. It’s not huge, with a 2ft southerly swell (combined energy of 207), but the wind is a clean cross-off from the NNW. The water’s sitting at 53°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. A nice little session to ease into things.

Sunday the 6th brings glassy conditions, both morning and afternoon. Swell height is small at 2ft, but the period stretches out to 16-17 seconds from the south. It’ll be clean as a whistle, but you’ll be working for every wave. The energy is steady though, around 198-202.

Monday the 7th has a bit of juice in the morning with a 5ft SE swell, but the period is a short 7 seconds, making it a bit fat and weak. The wind is glassy though, so if you’re keen on a paddle, it’s surfable. The afternoon drops off. The combined energy is 262.

Now, the real standout is shaping up for Friday morning, the 11th of September. We’ve got a clean 6ft south swell with a 9-second period, and light cross-off winds from the north. The combined energy jumps to 809, which is a solid step up. This is the first one that really gets the heart rate up – clean, punchy, and a good size for most surfers.

Then, hold onto your boardies for Saturday morning, the 12th of September. The swell is 4ft from the south, but the period is a long 17 seconds, and the energy is a thumping 1373. Wind is light offshore from the WNW, so the face will be smooth. This is a proper groundswell, and for a point and reef like Kahutara, that long period will wrap in beautifully. This is the pick of the whole window for quality.

The size really kicks up from there, but the wind gets tricky. Sunday morning, the 13th, has 8ft of clean south swell with glassy conditions and energy at 2846. That’s big, clean, and only for experienced surfers. The size peaks on Monday the 14th with 10ft in the morning and 8ft in the afternoon, both with clean conditions and offshore winds. The energy is over 2000. This is expert territory only.

The swell keeps pumping through the middle of the week, but the wind turns cross-onshore on the 15th, making it messy. The 16th looks lumpy too.

We round out the forecast with another proper standout on Friday morning, the 18th of September. An 12ft south-southwest swell with a clean cross-off wind. The combined energy is a massive 3980. This is a big, powerful swell for the brave.

And a final note: on Sunday the 20th of September, the forecast is calling for a colossal 20ft to 21ft swell. The wind is glassy, but it’s simply too big here. The break will be overwhelming. Give that one a wide berth.

So, for the best surf: get out for that long-period groundswell on Saturday the 12th in the morning for quality, or if you want size and power, Friday the 18th is your target. The early stuff is clean but small, the middle week gets huge but a bit wild. Choose your window wisely.

Rusty.

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