Kahutara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surf’s up… or it’s about to be. Let’s get into it.

The next couple of days are looking rideable, but it’s the back half of this stretch that’s got the real juice. We’ve got a steady run of south and southeast swell hitting Kahutara, but the wind and the periods are going to be the deciding factor between a good session and a great one. Keep an eye on the calendar, because the standout windows are a bit further out.

Friday morning kicks things off with some clean, glassy conditions. There’s a 5ft south swell rolling in with a long 14-second period. It’s pushing some serious energy – we're looking at 1167 on the combined scale, which is solid, meaty power. The water’s sitting at 50°, right about normal for this time of year. It’s a bit much for the beginners, but for the rest of us, this is where it gets fun. The period is long, so expect those waves to stand up and wall – Kahutara’s reef and point setup is going to love it. Friday afternoon stays glassy, with the swell easing slightly to 5ft, still with that long 12-second period.

The weekend is a bit more of a mixed bag. Saturday morning sees the swell drop to 4ft, but the wind stays glassy and it's still clean. The energy is moderating though, down to 441. It’s still a good wave, just not as powerful. Saturday afternoon, the wind shifts and it gets a bit lumpy with a cross-on breeze. It’s not a write-off, but it’s not the pick of the week. Sunday cleans up nicely. The wind swings offshore, light and clean, with a 3ft SSE swell. It’s smaller, but the quality is there. A fun, user-friendly sort of day.

Monday is where it starts to get a bit trickier. The swell bumps back up to 5ft, but that cross-off wind in the morning is okay, turning into a full cross in the afternoon which chops things up. It’s not a complete loss, but the morning is your better bet.

Then we hit a bit of a lull. Tuesday is messy, with short-period, wind-affected waves. Wednesday morning throws a bit of a curveball. The swell jumps to 6ft, but it’s coming from the ENE with a short 7-second period. The energy is moderate, but that short period and the direction mean it’s not going to be the cleanest. It’s powerful, but it could be a bit lumpy and hard to read. Thursday and Friday of that week are smaller and more ordinary, with weaker energy. We’re in a bit of a flat spot here for a few days.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The following Saturday morning (the 15th) looks like a proper standout. The swell jumps back up to a solid 7ft, pushing 1328 on the energy scale. It’s an E swell with a better 11-second period, and the wind is a light cross-off, keeping it clean. This is a serious step up in power and quality. That afternoon, it goes glassy with 6ft of clean E swell – an excellent window.

And if you thought that was good, the next day, Sunday the 16th, is the big one. The swell is up to a heavy 10ft from the S, and the energy readings are way up there at 3360 – that’s a lot of water moving. The morning is clean with that light cross-off. This is big, powerful surf. This is expert territory only, well over the 8ft mark. It’s a true beast of a day.

The week after that starts to fade. Monday the 17th backs off the size, but the wind gets stronger and messier. By Tuesday the 18th, it’s small and junky. Then Wednesday the 19th brings another pulse of size – 8ft in the morning and up to 10ft by the afternoon. But the wind also cranks up, especially that afternoon, with 40 km/h gusts. It’s going to be a blustery, challenging day, not the clean, powerful day we had on the weekend. Thursday the 20th is still big – 12ft in the morning – but again, the wind is strong. The waves will be there, but finding a clean one will be work.

The final window, Friday the 21st, is another one to circle. The swell settles down to a very solid 7ft with a long 11-second period from the S. The morning wind is light and offshore. This looks like a much cleaner, more manageable version of the big weekend. A great way to end the run.

Rusty

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