Makorori Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about what’s cooking at Makorori Point.

We’ve got a long forecast window, and it’s a proper mixed bag. The first several days are pretty underwhelming – tiny, weak swell and not much to get excited about. Then things take a real turn towards the end of the month and into early August, with some serious size on the way. But be warned, for a spot like this, that big stuff might be too much of a good thing.

Let’s start with this Thursday, 23 July. It’s small, real small, with a 2 ft SSE swell rolling in with a long 12-second period. The wind is light and offshore from the NNW, so it’s clean, but the energy is weak (110). The water is sitting at 56°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year. It’s surfable, but you’ll be working for it.

Friday and Saturday are more of the same – small, with the swell dropping off to nothing on Friday morning (1.0 ft) and barely picking up to 3 ft on Saturday morning. The wind on Saturday morning is offshore from the WNW, around 16 mph, so it’s clean, and the energy jumps a bit to 212, but it’s still not a day to write home about.

Now, Sunday the 26th is where things get interesting, but not necessarily in a good way. The swell jumps to 8 ft from the SSW, with energy climbing to 1881. This is getting into expert territory. The wind is a cross-offshore from the SW, but the size is going to make it a handful. Later that afternoon, the wind swings cross-shore at 19 mph and it’s rainy, so the quality takes a hit.

Monday the 27th is a beast of a day for the experts. The morning shows a 10 ft swell from the S, with a massive 2603 energy reading. The wind is cross-offshore from the WSW, keeping it clean, but this is too big for the average punter. The afternoon holds at 8 ft, but the wind is cross-shore and strong, making it messy.

Tuesday the 28th sees the swell drop a bit to 7 ft from the SE, but the period stretches to 14 seconds, which is a proper long-period groundswell. The energy is through the roof at 4018. This is a point break, so that long period will actually work well here, offering some proper shaped waves. The problem is the wind is cross-shore from the SW, so it’s got a bit of chop on it. Still, for the skilled crew, this is the standout of the first week.

We hit a bit of a lull towards the end of the week. Wednesday the 29th is a write-off with onshore winds, and Thursday the 30th is a better bet. The morning of the 30th is clean as a whistle – light offshore from the W at 6 mph, with a 5 ft ESE swell at 12 seconds. The energy is a solid 698, and the forecast says “very good surf conditions.” This is a solid pick for the first week.

The second week starts to get interesting again. Friday the 31st has a clean 4 ft ESE swell, and then we hit another quiet patch over the weekend. Saturday the 1st is a write-off with onshore winds and choppy conditions.

The next real standout is Wednesday the 5th of August. The morning shows a 7 ft SSE swell with a 9-second period, clean with light cross-offshore wind from the NNW, and energy at 954. That’s a solid, surfable day. But the afternoon of the 5th is when the big swell really arrives. We’re talking 12 ft from the S, with a 10-second period and a massive 3249 energy reading. The wind is light offshore from the NW. This is a serious, expert-only wave. The same goes for Thursday the 6th and Friday the 7th, with waves hitting 15 ft to 16 ft and energy readings over 7000. This is a full-blown swell event, but it’s simply too big for this break, so only the most experienced should even look at it. The wind is light on Thursday morning, but the size is the story.

So, to wrap it up: the best two true standouts are the morning of Thursday the 30th of July for a clean, manageable 5 ft groundswell, and the morning of Wednesday the 5th of August for a bigger, more powerful 7 ft swell that’s still clean. The big stuff from the 5th onwards is a spectacle, but not a practical one for most.

Rusty.

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