Mount Maunganui Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty. Look, I’ve had a proper look at what’s on the table for the next couple of weeks, and I’ve got to be straight with you – it’s a lean stretch. The whole period is pretty flat and wind-affected for the most part, with a small window of clean but very average waves around the 19th and 20th. This ain’t a time to be booking a surf trip; it’s a time to be cleaning your board and waiting.

Let’s start with what’s happening. There’s nothing worth paddling out for until Saturday the 19th of September. That’s a solid week of flat, poor conditions. The only real flicker of life comes Saturday the 19th morning with a 3 ft NNE swell, period of 8 seconds, and a moderate WSW cross-offshore breeze (12 mph) keeping it clean. Combined energy is moderate at 169. By Saturday afternoon, the swell bumps up to 5 ft from the NNE with a period of 9 seconds, energy hitting 351 – that’s moderate-to-strong. Again, clean with that WSW cross-off at 16 mph. This is the best of a bad bunch, but it’s short period and not going to be quality. Sunday the 20th sees it drop back: 1 ft to 3 ft from the NE, periods 9-10 seconds, with light winds making it clean, but the energy is weak (85-106).

The standout – and I use that term loosely – is Saturday the 19th afternoon at Mount Maunganui (Mount-Maunguni). It’s the biggest swell of the forecast, at 5 ft from the NNE, with a clean cross-offshore breeze. The water temp is about 58°, which is pretty normal for this time of year (no anomaly to speak of). It’s a beginner-friendly break and fairly consistent, but the short period (9 seconds) means it won’t have any real punch. Crowds are possible here sometimes, but with conditions this ordinary, I doubt it’ll be packed. For an intermediate surfer, it might give you something to cruise on. For beginners, 5 ft might be a touch on the big side if you’re just starting out.

From Monday the 21st onwards, it’s back to small, weak, or wind-blown stuff. The 2 ft on Monday morning has a nice offshore wind (S at 3 mph) and is clean, but the energy is low (99). The rest of the second week is mostly small (0.3 ft to 0.7 ft) and not worth the wetsuit struggle.

Honestly, there’s not much here for the second week. A few small swells with clean offshore winds on the 23rd and 24th (0.7 ft from the ENE, periods of 8-9 seconds) but the energy is pitiful (10-12). It’s not surfable in any meaningful way.

So, the call is: wait for Saturday the 19th if you’re desperate for a paddle, keep expectations low, and know that the rest of the window is a write-off. The setup here looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on most days.

Rusty.

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