Kalapaki Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s look at what’s on offer for Kalapaki Beach over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it’s a pretty grim stretch for paddle surfing. The whole 16-day window is a write-off for decent waves. The first real chance at anything rideable doesn’t show up until Monday the 4th of August, and even then it’s a struggle to call it surf. The pattern is dominated by a persistent ENE wind, which is keeping the surface lumpy and choppy pretty much the whole time.

We start off with some waist-high swell on Monday the 3rd of August, around 6ft from the ENE, but it’s short period, only 8 seconds, and there’s a moderate cross-shore wind mucking it up. The water is a warm 80°, which is bang on average for the time of year, so no surprises there. The combined energy is moderate (572), but it’s a messy package.

Tuesday the 4th of August morning sees a jump in period to 12 seconds, which is a bit more promising for shape, but the wind is cross-onshore, making it choppy. The swell drops to 5ft, and the energy is still moderate (752). Tuesday afternoon is a little cleaner with a cross-shore breeze, but the swell is only 5ft and the period is 11 seconds. It’s still just a marginal call.

The rest of the first week and into the second week is a case of "not much changing." The wind stays up, the swell direction is mostly ENE, and the periods are short, often around 7 seconds, which is just windswell junk. The energy values are all moderate, ranging from the 300s to the 600s, but it’s all poor surf conditions. On Thursday the 7th of August, the swell drops to a tiny 1ft, and the only significant period is a 20-second south swell that is simply too small to do anything with.

There is a notable spike in energy around the 12th and 13th of August, with combined energy climbing into the four-digit range (1135, 1247, 1143, 1055) from the south. That’s a strong pulse of long-period groundswell (16 to 18 seconds). But the swell height is only 3ft to 4ft, and the wind is cross-onshore or choppy, so it’s all just raw energy with no clean shape. A reef break like Kalapaki would normally groove on a long south swell, but with that wind, it’s a no-go.

By the 16th of August, the swell bumps back up to 6ft from the ENE, but the period is a miserable 8 seconds, and the wind is a fresh 19 mph, creating a lumpy cross-chop. The energy is strong (821), but it’s a mess. The following days on the 17th and 18th of August, the swell holds around 7ft, but it’s still short-period windswell with that persistent stiff cross-shore wind. The combined energy is strong (784, 823, and 737), but it’s just not surfable.

There is no standout session here. Nothing. The best of a bad bunch is probably the Tuesday afternoon (4th of August) or Wednesday morning (5th of August) when the wind is a little lighter, but it’s still only marginal. Honestly, if you’re a kite surfer, this constant 12 to 19 mph cross-shore wind might be interesting, but for a paddle surfer, leave the board at home.

Rusty.

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