Kalapaki Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. The next couple of weeks around Kalapaki Beach are going to be a bit of a mixed bag, and honestly, for the first stretch, it’s mostly about dodging the crud. We’ve got a lot of onshore and cross-onshore energy blowing through, which is going to chop things up. The swell we’re seeing is mostly short-period windswell, not the clean, lined-up groundswell we’d be stoked on. It’s going to be a bit of a grind, but there are a couple of windows later on that could turn it around.

We start off this Friday, August 14th. There’s a small 4ft south swell running, but it’s getting chopped up by a moderate NE breeze. It’s cross-shore, and there’s a bit of a cross-chop on it, so while there’s something to look at, the quality is just not there. The water temp is a pretty normal 80°, nothing weird there.

The weekend is a write-off, plain and simple. Saturday, August 15th, the swell jumps up, but it’s all this short-period ENE windswell. It’s bumpy and lumpy with a fresh cross-shore breeze, and it's just messy. Then Sunday the 16th gets properly blown out. We’re talking near gale-force cross-onshore winds and a big 16ft east swell. That’s a lot of raw energy (5295 in the combined energy reading), but it’s going to be a washing machine. Too big, too windy, and completely ugly. This is not a surf day, unless you’re a masochist. Maybe the kite crew will be having a field day, but for a paddle surfer, forget it. That big swell keeps things messy through Monday the 17th, so we’re just sitting on the beach for that.

Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th drop right off. We're back to tiny, dribbly cross-onshore slop with a bit of south in the mix. It’s basically flat and blown. Not worth paddling out for anything more than a float. The energy is weak, and the wind has a bad attitude. This is a good time to check your wax and fix your dings.

We get a small reprieve in the wind for Thursday the 20th, with a light breeze, but the swell is still tiny, around 2ft from the south. There's a long period to it, but it's just too small to do anything with. Then Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd stay small and cross-onshore. It's not great, just small weak lumps.

The following week starts similarly grim. From Sunday the 23rd through Wednesday the 26th, we have more poor surf, with small, choppy, cross-onshore conditions. There’s a pulse of ENE windswell on Monday the 24th that brings 6ft, but it’s still onshore and weak-period, so it will be a mess.

Okay, now let's talk about the one or two glimmers in the darkness. Mark your calendars for Thursday, August 27th and Friday, August 28th. We finally see the wind ease right off, getting light, and the swell direction swings around to the east with a longer period. The heights aren’t huge, around 4ft to 4ft, but that period jumps to 17-18 seconds. That is a proper groundswell, and with the light offshore wind, Kalapaki is going to clean right up. The energy reading jumps into the four-digit range (1435-1504), showing it has some push. It's still a bit cross-onshore, but with that light breeze, it will be glassy and lined up. This is the standout window. Go get some.

After that, Saturday the 29th looks like a slight drop back into the short-period stuff from the east, and the wind picks up a touch. It’s surfable but not as good as the days before. So, your best bet is to be patient, sit out the junk, and charge hard on the 27th and 28th. It’s a promise of a good time, not a guarantee, but it's the best thing we've got on the board.

That’s it from me. Keep your eyes on the horizon.

Rusty.

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