Kalapaki Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – this is a pretty bleak outlook for Kalapaki Beach over the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a long stretch without anything really worth paddling out for, so keep your expectations low.

Looking at the whole picture, the combo of strong, funky winds and messy, blown-out conditions just kills any chance of decent waves for the bulk of this period. The only real glimmer of hope is right at the very end, and that's a long way off.

The first week is essentially a write-off. Monday afternoon the 7th kicks off with a chunky 10ft SSW swell rolling in, but it’s getting smashed by a 31 mph cross-onshore wind, making it a complete mess. Moderate rain too – not worth it. The energy is monster, hitting 6642, but it’s totally unsurfable. Tuesday the 8th stays big and unruly, with a 12ft SW swell and fresh cross-shore winds. The combined energy (3250) is still huge, but the conditions are pure lumpy chop.

By Wednesday the 9th, the size drops to a tiny 3ft, and even though we get a bit of an offshore wind on Wednesday afternoon, the period is on the longer side at 13-14 seconds. The energy drops way down too (458-690), and the forecast still calls it marginal. Thursday through the following Monday (10th to 14th) is a desert of poor conditions – mostly small, weak swells with cross-onshore winds and chop. Energy readings bounce around between 66 and 711, but none of it comes together.

The second week doesn't look much better. From the 15th through to the 21st, we see a bit of a low-energy long-period swell from the SW, mostly in the 15-20 second range. But the wind stays stubbornly cross-onshore from the east or ENE, keeping the surface rough and bumpy. The wave heights are tiny, rarely pushing over 3ft, and the energy stays low, often under 500. It’s a frustrating run of poor surf.

Now, the one thing that might be worth keeping an eye on is the very end of the forecast. On Tuesday the 22nd, we finally see a change. The wind drops right off to nothing – glassy conditions by the afternoon, with a calm sea. The swell will be small, only 2ft from the SSW with a period of 13 seconds, and the energy is low at 231. But the expectation is for good surf conditions. It won't be big, but on a reef break like Kalapaki, that clean, glassy surface is a rare gift. The water is a warm 81°F, which is about average for the time of year, so at least you’ll be comfortable just floating around. Do remember the optimum direction is from the SSE, and this swell is coming from the SSW, so it might not be perfect, but with glass like that, you take what you can get.

So that's the story. A whole lot of nothing for the next two weeks, with one tiny window of clean, glassy goodness right on the last day. Keep the wax soft for that Tuesday, but don't hold your breath on everything else.

- Rusty

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