Mangawhai Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what the next couple of weeks are shaping up like for Mangawhai Heads. It’s a bit of a slow burn to start, but there’s a window of clean, punchy swell later on that’s worth circling on the calendar.

Right now, we’re in a flat spell. The first few days offer nothing but tiny, weak waves with poor conditions. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing crazy. We’re looking at a gap of about four days where there’s nothing worth paddling out for. Hold tight.

Come Friday morning, July 17, things start to wake up. We’ve got a solid 2ft of east swell rolling in with a long period of 17 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The combined energy is sitting at 210 (moderate energy), and with light offshore wind from the west, it’s going to be clean. This is a standout session. The long period means the sets will have plenty of punch, and the gaps between them will make it easier to get out the back. Mangawhai Heads is a beach and reef setup, so that long period east swell could be a bit straight at times, but with offshore conditions, it’s going to be the pick of the week. It’s a beginner-friendly spot, but with that size, it’s still super accessible.

The following week has a few more promising windows. Thursday afternoon, July 22, the wind swings cross-offshore from the south-southwest, and we’ve got 3ft of east swell with a short, choppy period of 7 seconds. The combined energy is 202 (moderate), and the forecast says “good surf conditions.” It’s not as clean as Friday, but it’s surfable.

Then Friday, July 24, afternoon looks like another real standout. The swell is 4ft from the east-northeast with a 10-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 472 (strong to very strong wave energy). The wind is almost glassy from the south-southwest at 5 km/h, so it’s going to be beautifully clean. The swell direction is a bit east of the optimum northeast, but the size and clean conditions make it a no-brainer. This one is for the intermediate to advanced crew – at 4ft, it’s still fine for most, but the energy is there.

Saturday morning, July 25, keeps the good run going. We’ve got 3ft of east-northeast swell with an 11-second period, and a light offshore wind from the west-southwest. Combined energy is 259 (moderate). It’s clean and punchy. Another good session, but the swell is a touch smaller than Friday.

After that, it does fade. Sunday, July 26, has glassy conditions but only 2ft of east swell, so it’s a small, clean day for the longboard or a soft top. Then Monday, July 27, brings a bigger 7ft north swell, but with a short 8-second period and onshore wind, it’s going to be messy and too big for beginners. The combined energy is 584 (strong to very strong), but with the wind, it’s mainly for the experts or kite surfers.

So, the clear winners are Friday morning, July 17, and Friday afternoon, July 24. Mark those in – the first one is a sure thing, the second is a bit further out but looks promising. Get on it.

Rusty.

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