Mount Maunganui Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the Mount over the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, it’s a quiet start. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with nothing worth paddling out for. From now right through until the end of July, the swell is tiny – we’re talking 0.7ft to 1ft of weak, short-period slop. The combined energy barely hits 52 (moderate wave energy), and most of the time it’s well under that. The wind is light and often offshore or glassy, but there’s just no power in the water. It’s a frustrating run of flat, clean conditions that are perfect for a swim, but useless for a surf.

The first real chance of something rideable shows up on Friday the 31st of July. The swell finally fills in, but it’s a messy one. A N wind swell bumps up to 7ft in the morning, but with a 35 km/h cross-onshore, it’s a lumpy, choppy beast. The combined energy jumps to 508 (strong wave energy). By the afternoon, the wind swings WNW and drops to 15 km/h, and we get a 8ft NNW swell with a period of 8 seconds. The energy is pumping at 1366 (strong wave energy), but the conditions are marginal. This is a big, raw swell that’s going to be a handful for the average punter. Over 8ft at a beach break like Mount Maunganui (New Zealand) means it’s strictly for the experts, and with short period, it’ll be a bit walled and hard to read. The best wind of the day is the afternoon glass-off on Saturday the 1st of August, but the swell drops back to 2ft with weak energy (92) – it’s a tease.

The real standout, the one that gets the heart rate up, is the morning of Saturday the 8th of August. This is over a week away, so keep that in mind, but the forecast looks promising. We’ve got a 8ft NE swell with a period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy is a solid 586 (strong wave energy). The wind is light and cross-offshore from the SE at 15 km/h. This sets up a clean, punchy wave at the Mount. The size is big, but it’s not the massive close-out slop of the 31st. For a surfer who knows the bank, this is the window. The swell direction is NNE, which is bang on the optimum for the break. Expect crowds though – this spot is ‘sometimes’ busy, and a clean 7ft+ day will have everyone out. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

The following day, Sunday the 9th of August, still has some size (5ft), but the wind is up and choppy. It’s a downgrade. The rest of the second week fades back into small, messy, or onshore slop.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a write-off. The best bet, and it’s a real one, is the morning of Saturday the 8th of August. That’s your session. Get on it.

Rusty.

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