Mount Maunganui Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. We’ve got a 16-day look at the Bay of Plenty, and I gotta be straight with you – it’s a proper flat spell ahead. The first real chance at a wave doesn’t even show up until Friday morning, the 14th of August, so we’re looking at a couple of days of nothing to start.

The overall pattern is pretty grim. We’ve got a weak pulse of energy coming through, but nothing that’s going to get the heart racing. The combined swell energy is mostly in the low to mid hundreds for the first few days, but it’s all wrapped up in poor conditions – onshore and cross-shore winds, short-period slop.

Friday, August 14th is where we finally get a sniff. Mount Maunganui is a beginner-friendly spot, fairly exposed to the swell, with a NNE optimum direction. On Friday morning, we’ve got a small 4ft swell from the NE at 7 seconds. The combined energy is just 152 (weak), but the wind is a gentle cross-offshore breeze from the SE, making it clean. It’s not going to be epic, but it’s surfable. The water temp is about average for the time of year.

Saturday, August 15th is actually the best of a pretty average bunch. The morning sees a 3ft ENE swell (7 seconds) with a light offshore wind from the S – clean conditions. But the real standout is Saturday afternoon. The swell stays at 3ft from the ENE (8 seconds) with the combined energy at 143 (weak), but the wind goes glassy. Absolutely dead calm. For a small wave, that’s as good as it gets. The sets will be few and far between with that period, but if you’re on a log, it’ll be a fun, clean session. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, so expect a few others with the same idea.

Sunday, August 16th morning holds a 3ft ENE swell with a moderate offshore wind from the S (12 mph), keeping it clean. But the swell energy is dropping (116). After that, it’s a slow fade into tiny, clean but flat conditions for the rest of the week.

There’s a flicker of life right at the very end of the forecast. On Thursday, August 27th, we see a jump in the numbers: a 6ft swell from the NNE with a 6-second period and combined energy of 276. That’s a long way off, so don’t get too excited, but it’s something to keep an eye on. The light cross-shore wind could make it rideable, but that short period will be a mess.

Forget the rest of the second week – it’s practically a lake. The 16th through the 26th is mostly knee-high or less, with clean but gutless conditions.

Rusty, signing off.

Read more