Kahutara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what we've got on the menu over the next couple of weeks. It's a bit of a slow cook, but there's some good stuff coming if you're patient.

First up, the water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual to report there at Kahutara.

Right now, we're looking at a pretty flat start. Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th are offering tiny little 1ft swell from the south with barely any energy behind it. The wind is light, and the conditions are clean, but honestly, it's not worth paddling out for. We're talking poor surf conditions for a few days there.

Saturday the 25th sees a shift. Some long-period groundswell shows up, but the period is a bit short at first. By the afternoon, we get a jump to 6ft from the SSW, but it's a short 7-second period with moderate energy. The wind is cross-offshore, so it'll be clean, but the wave quality is only marginal.

Sunday the 26th is when things start looking interesting. The morning brings a long-period 15-second swell from the ESE at 2-3ft, but the energy is building. The real standout is the afternoon, with 5-6ft of S swell, clean conditions, and solid energy. This is where we start to get some proper shape.

Monday the 27th morning is a real gem. Light offshore WNW wind, glassy conditions, and a 2-3ft E swell with a very long 15-second period. The energy is moderate, and it's clean as a whistle. This is a great window for the point break setup at Kahutara – that long period will wrap in nicely and give you some proper lines. The only caveat is that long-period groundswell can be a bit too straight for beach breaks, but this is a reef and point, so it's ideal.

Now, the real standout is Tuesday the 28th. Morning sees 7ft of ESE swell with a 13-second period and strong energy. The wind is a light NNW cross-offshore, keeping it clean. The afternoon is glassy with 6ft from the same direction and energy. This is for experienced surfers – it's big, powerful, and consistent. If you've got the skills, this is easily the best day of the period.

The rest of the first week stays fun. Wednesday the 29th has 5ft ESE swell, still clean in the morning. Thursday the 30th drops back to 3ft but remains glassy in the afternoon. Both of these are good for a paddle.

A quick note on crowd profile: Kahutara can get crowded sometimes, so plan your sessions for the early mornings or the glassy afternoons to beat the pack.

Moving into the weekend of the 1st and 2nd of August, things get interesting again. Saturday the 1st morning has 5ft ENE swell with clean conditions, but by the afternoon, it gets messy with strong onshore wind and a big 11-12ft S swell – that's kite territory, not paddle.

Sunday the 2nd is another standout. Morning brings 5ft E swell with a 10-second period and very strong energy. The wind is light offshore from the WNW. This is excellent, powerful surf for experienced surfers. The afternoon sees some cross-shore wind, but still some fun waves.

The second week is a bit more mixed. Monday the 3rd gets blown out by strong SW winds. Tuesday the 4th and Wednesday the 5th look better with clean conditions and 5ft swell from the south. The end of the period on Thursday the 6th and Friday the 7th offers smaller, clean waves around 3ft, best on the Friday morning with gentle offshore winds.

So, to sum it up for a surfer: Tuesday the 28th of July is the standout for experienced surfers with big, clean groundswell. For everyone else, Monday the 27th morning and Sunday the 2nd of August morning are your best bets for clean, fun waves in a more manageable size. Patience through the flat start, and you'll be rewarded.

Rusty.

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