Mount Maunganui Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what we've got coming down the line for the next couple of weeks.

To be straight up with you, the next week and a half is a bit of a fizzer. We've got a long dry spell with no real swell to get excited about. From Thursday the 30th of July right through until the weekend of the 9th of August, it’s mostly tiny, weak waves or just plain poor conditions. You'll see some small swell pop up here and there, like on Friday the 31st of July when a pulse of northerly swell hits 5ft, but the period is a short 7 seconds, and while the wind is clean, the energy is only moderate (238). It’s not worth getting wet for. The rest of that first week is all 1ft dribble and wonky winds. There’s a big gap in the surfable options.

Things finally start to look up around Tuesday the 11th of August. The morning shows some promise at Mount Maunganui with a clean 6ft easterly-northeasterly groundswell, a period of 10 seconds, and clean cross-offshore winds. The combined energy is strong at 626, and that onshore-northeast breeze is absent in the morning. It’s the first real sign of life.

Now, the standout window is Wednesday the 12th and Thursday the 13th of August. Wednesday looks prime: a clean 6ft to 6ft easterly-northeasterly swell with a nice 11-second period, and the wind is light or gentle cross-offshore from the west-southwest. The energy is very strong (774 to 881), and with the water temp at 58°F, which is pretty average for this time of year. This is the best quality on offer – clean, solid, and well-shaped for a point or reef setup.

Thursday the 13th of August is a different beast. The morning will see a 7ft easterly-northeasterly swell (9-second period) with strong energy (1250) and clean wind. But be warned, by the afternoon, the swell jumps to a massive 15ft from the northeast (combined energy a monstrous 3970) – that's expert-only territory and the forecast suggests it may be too big for this break. Friday the 14th of August holds similar massive conditions (13ft to 10ft) with very high energy, but again, that's pushing the limits and likely only for the brave.

So, to wrap it up: the first 11 days are a write-off. If you're keen, the best chance for a real surf will be on Wednesday the 12th of August at Mount Maunganui. It’s clean, solid, and the conditions are dialled. The following days have size but are for experts only. Keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

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