Kalapaki Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a good look at what’s coming down the pipe for Kalapaki Beach. I’ll be straight with you – this isn’t a week to be getting too excited. The pattern is locked into a pretty poor run of surf, with a lot of cross-shore and cross-onshore winds messing up what little swell there is. The water is sitting at 80°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no drama there.

The first real call for a paddle isn’t until Wednesday the 15th, and it’s a bit of a non-starter. We’ve got a tiny 2ft swell from the SW, with a period of 13 seconds, so there’s a bit of energy in the water (162 combined energy), but the wind is a cross-onshore breeze out of the east at 9 mph, making it choppy and messy. The afternoon is even worse, dropping to a 3ft swell from the ENE with a shocking 7-second period and only 86 combined energy. This is a total write-off. Thursday the 16th and Friday the 17th are the same story – cross-onshore winds, moderate chop, and the swell is either too small or too short-period to do anything with.

Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th are still not happening. The wind swings to a straight cross-shore, but it’s still a moderate breeze at 12 mph, and the swell is bouncing around 2ft to 5ft, but the period is short (8 seconds or less) and the energy is moderate at best. It’s not until Sunday afternoon that we see a marginal score, with a 5ft swell from the ENE, but the wind picks up to 16 mph, and the cross-shore chop is a real issue. Not worth paddling out for.

The first week of the forecast is a total dud, with barely a glimmer of hope. The best we can say is that from Monday the 22nd onwards, the energy starts to ramp up. The combined energy readings jump into the 800s and 1000s, which is strong to very strong, but the swell is still coming from the SSW and the cross-shore wind is relentless. The period is long, between 14 and 24 seconds, but the break is a reef setup, so that long period might actually cause it to stand up a bit too straight and be tricky. The wind is still the killer – a constant cross-shore breeze at 12 to 16 mph keeps the surface messy.

The true standout, if you can call it that, is the afternoon of Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th. We get a bump in the score, with a 2ft to 3ft SSW swell, a very long period of 18 to 20 seconds, and combined energy over 1000 (1034 and 1086). The wind is still cross-shore, but it’s a moderate breeze. This is a long-period groundswell, so it might offer some shape and power, but the crowd can be “often” here, so you won’t be alone. It’s the best of a bad bunch, but it’s still marginal.

After that, Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th see the energy stay high (712 to 1311), but the wind swings back to cross-onshore, so it’s choppy again. The swell is 2ft to 3ft from the SSW and S, with periods of 16 to 19 seconds, but the wind just ruins it. The rest of the period into the end of July is a repeat of the same: moderate energy, but persistent cross-onshore wind and poor surf conditions. The setup here is a reef, and with the wind being messy, it’s a tough ask for a paddle. It’s honestly more interesting for a kite session than a surf.

So, the bottom line: there’s no clean swell in the 16-day window. The wind is the enemy. If you’re desperate, the afternoons of the 23rd and 24th of July are your best bet, with that long-period groundswell, but don’t expect perfection. This is a tough run, but it never stays poor for long. Forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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