Makorori North Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Looks like we’ve got a bit of a slow start, but the waiting game pays off with a few solid windows at Makorori North. This is a spot for the advanced crew – a beach and reef setup that handles a south swell, and it’s fairly exposed to it. The water’s sitting at 57°, which is a touch cooler than usual for this time of year, but nothing too wild.

The first real session worth paddling out for is on Sunday the 19th, in the morning. Big, powerful groundswell from the south, 6 ft and a very long 18-second period. The energy is pumping hard (2526). A clean cross-off wind from the west is keeping things tidy, and the morning light will be golden. This is proper, serious surf – not for the faint-hearted. The swell is over 5 ft, so keep it for the experienced lot. It’s a consistent break, and crowds can pop up sometimes, so get in early.

The wind turns on Sunday afternoon, swinging to a solid 15 mph cross-on from the SSW, and the quality drops right off. Choppy and messy. That’s the end of the good run for a few days.

Monday and Tuesday are a write-off – the swell stays around 5 ft to 7 ft, but the wind is cross-on or onshore, and the energy is still strong but the surf is just marginal. Not worth the drive.

Things start to look up again on Wednesday morning the 22nd. The south swell drops to 4 ft, period is 12 seconds, and the wind goes light offshore from the NNW. The energy is moderate (547). The waves are clean, the conditions are right, but it’s not a standout. A fun, mellow session if you’re keen.

Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th are tiny – swell drops to 2 ft. Offshore winds Friday morning give you clean lines, but it’s barely surfable. The energy is weak (84). A longboard might get a slide, but don’t expect much.

The next real highlight comes much later, on Thursday the 30th of July. The morning shows an 8 ft south-southwest swell with a 10-second period. The energy is strong (1477), but the wind is a moderate cross-shore, creating a lumpy chop. This is big, raw, and messy – more of a challenge than a joy. The afternoon blows up to 12 ft, and with a cross-on wind, it’s a washing machine. This one’s probably for the tow crew or the kite surfers.

Then, the best of the entire forecast hits on Friday the 31st of July, in the morning. A solid 8 ft south swell, 13-second period, and a light offshore wind from the northwest. The energy is massive (2495). The waves will be clean, powerful, and lined up. This is expert territory, no question. The swell is big, the period is long, and it’ll be a proper groundswell that could be a bit straight at the beach break, but at Makorori North, the reef structure should help shape it up. If you’re experienced, this is the one.

The rest of the weekend into early August fades out. The 1st of August has a 5 ft swell with light offshore winds in the morning – clean, fun, but nothing on Friday’s offering. The following Monday, the 3rd of August, shows a 7 ft south swell and a moderate offshore wind, energy is solid (1060), but it’s more of a solid, workable day than a standout.

So, in short: there’s a gap of no real surf from Sunday afternoon right through to Tuesday. The two standout sessions are Sunday morning the 19th for a clean, powerful groundswell, and Friday morning the 31st for the biggest, cleanest swell of the run. The later one is the one to circle on the calendar.

Rusty.

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