Mount Maunganui Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. First things first: the water temp at Mount Maunganui is sitting at 57°, which is just a touch cooler than the typical average for this time of year – nothing too wild, just a bit of a nip in the water.

Alright, let’s talk surf. The next 16 days are a real mixed bag, and honestly, the first week is pretty grim. You’ve got a long stretch of tiny, weak swell and poor conditions from the get-go. From Thursday the 6th of August right through to Sunday the 9th, we’re looking at next to nothing – 0.3ft of swell with combined energy barely reaching 20 (weak). It’s clean in the mornings, but that’s no consolation when you’re bobbing on a lake. A bit of a glimmer pops up on the Sunday afternoon with a pulse of 4ft from the north, but it’s short period (5 seconds) and cross-onshore, so it’s choppy and messy – not worth getting wet for.

The first real chance of something decent creeps in on Monday the 10th, but it’s still ugly. Swell builds to 5ft, then 6ft, but it’s all northerly, short period (7 seconds) and cross-onshore with moderate breeze. The energy’s starting to show though – 216 on Monday morning, climbing to 302 by the afternoon (moderate wave energy). Still, it’s choppy and poor.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The standout window is Tuesday the 11th and Wednesday the 12th. Tuesday morning, the swell hits 7ft from the north, period stretching to 9 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 747 (strong wave energy). That’s proper groundswell energy. The catch? Tuesday morning has a light cross-shore wind, but it’s the afternoon that’s the absolute gem – glassy conditions, 6ft from the north-northeast, and the energy at 612 (strong). That’s clean, solid surf. The break is Mount Maunganui, a beginner-friendly spot that’s fairly consistent. The swell direction (NNE) is a good match for the optimum direction (NNE), so it’s lining up. Crowds are a possibility here, but with the quality on offer, it’ll be worth the company. Wednesday morning follows up with more of the same – 6ft, north-northeast, 9-second period, cross-offshore wind, and 518 energy (strong). That’s your best two-day block.

After that, it fades. Thursday the 13th sees the swell drop to 5ft, period shortening to 8 seconds, and the wind goes onshore by the afternoon. The energy’s down to 256 (moderate), and it’s just ordinary. The weekend of the 15th and 16th is small and mediocre – 3ft to 3ft, cross-shore wind, and energy dropping to 98 (weak) by Sunday afternoon. The following week is even quieter, with nothing above 3ft until Friday the 21st, when a small pulse of 3ft from the north-northeast with 10-second period and glassy wind offers a brief, clean session, but the energy is only 234 (moderate). It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about.

So, the clear standout is Tuesday the 11th and Wednesday the 12th. Get on it.

Rusty.

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