Kalapaki Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s happening with Kalapaki Beach. I’m looking at the next couple of weeks, and honestly, it’s a tough stretch. The water’s sitting at a pretty normal 79° for this time of year, but the surf just isn’t cooperating for a proper paddle session.

We start off Saturday, July 4th. There’s a small, long-period swell rolling in from the south, around 3 ft. The period is a very long 20 seconds, which is classic groundswell energy, but at this size and with a moderate cross-shore breeze, it’s a marginal call. You might find a sneaky one, but the combined energy is only weak at 991, so it’s not doing much. Conditions are cross-shore and choppy, so it’s not the clean, glassy stuff we dream about.

Sunday and Monday are a write-off. On Sunday, the wind picks up to a fresh 19 mph from the ENE, making it an onshore mess. Monday sees the swell jump to 7 ft, but it’s a short-period 8-second windswell from the ENE with a lumpy cross-shore wind. The energy reads at 1028 and 1086, which is moderate, but the quality is poor. That kind of short-period swell with onshore wind just turns the beach into a washing machine – it’s more of a kiteboarding session than a surf one.

Mid-week, from Tuesday the 7th through to Thursday the 9th, the swell holds around 6 ft to 8 ft, but it’s that same short-period ENE windswell. The winds stay cross or cross-onshore, which keeps the surface lumpy and messy. The energy readings are dropping from 1047 down to 503, so the power is fading, but the quality never improves. Everything is labelled either “poor” or “marginal.” There’s no clean, glassy window to be found.

We get a bit of a change on Sunday, July 12th and Monday, July 13th. The swell direction swings around to the SW with a long 15-16 second period, but the height drops right back to only 3 ft. The winds remain a moderate cross-shore, so it’s not blown out, but it’s tiny. The energy is weak, around 606 to 761. It’s a tease, really – good lines for a log if you’re desperate, but nothing to get excited about.

After that, from Tuesday, July 14th onwards, it’s a sustained run of poor surf. The swell stays mostly from the ENE, short period, with moderate breezes keeping things lumpy. The energy readings keep dropping into the 300s and 400s, which is weak. The winds never swing offshore, and we don’t get that elusive clean glass. This pattern looks locked in all the way to Sunday, July 19th.

So, what’s the one standout? Honestly, there isn’t one. There’s no single session that really grabs you. The most promising window is probably the small, long-period SW swell on Sunday the 12th or Monday the 13th, but it’s just too small to be called a proper highlight. It’s a lean patch for Kalapaki. Keep your board waxed, but don’t plan your day around it.

- Rusty

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