Karekare Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer at Karekare over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a slow start, but there’s a few genuine highlights to get excited about if you’re patient.

The first surf worth paddling out for doesn’t show up until Wednesday morning, August 5, so you’ve got a couple of days of flat or poor conditions to sit through. Early on Monday and Tuesday, the swell is pushing through but the wind is a cross-on mess, making it choppy and ugly. Tuesday arvo sees a big 12 ft swell but short period and awful wind – not for the faint-hearted.

Now, Wednesday morning August 5 is the first standout. Karekare is a West Coast exposed beach, and the swell is coming from the SW at 10 ft, with a period of 14 seconds. That’s a solid groundswell, but it’s a big one – over 8 ft, so this is strictly for experts. The wind is SSE at 16 mph, cross-offshore, which will keep it clean. The combined energy is massive at 5495, so it’s pumping. The water temp is about 57°F, which is a touch cooler than average for this time of year, but not a shock.

If you want the absolute best of the forecast, look at Sunday morning August 9. The swell drops to a more manageable 8 ft from the WSW, period 10 seconds, and the wind goes glassy – WSW at just 3 mph. That’s a rare treat. The combined energy is still strong at 1816, and the break will be clean and lined up. This is for experienced surfers only, but it’s going to be magic.

Monday August 10 morning and afternoon are also excellent – swell 6-6 ft from the WSW, 13 seconds, with light cross-offshore winds from the east. Clean, smooth, and the energy is moderate at 1578-1678. Crowds are sometimes a thing here, so prepare for a few locals.

Later in the week, Thursday August 13 afternoon sees a big 7 ft WSW swell with a long 19-second period, but the wind is light cross-on, so it might be a bit bumpy. Friday August 14 morning is another good one – 7 ft, 16 seconds, cross-offshore SSE wind, clean and powerful. Energy is 2235.

After that, the second week gets a bit hit and miss. The swell sticks around but the wind turns cross-on or onshore, and the quality drops. A few days have moderate energy but the wind is messy. Nothing stands out as a standout after that first week.

To wrap it up, the best windows are Wednesday morning August 5 for the big, clean, expert-only session, and Sunday morning August 9 for the glassy, perfect conditions. Monday August 10 is also a winner for cleaner, smaller waves. Don’t bother with the first few days, and the second week is a gamble.

Rusty.

Read more