Muriwai Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, looking at what’s on the cards for Muriwai Beach over the next couple of weeks. Now, this is a classic exposed west-coast set-up, and it’s going to be a bit of a mixed bag – some real power, but also some pretty rough conditions to work through. The water temp is sitting at 57°F, which is pretty average for this time of year, nothing unusual there.

We’ve got a big pulse of south-west swell rolling in. The first real chance of a wave is Thursday the 20th of August. Early morning, the wind’s light and cross-off from the SSE at just 3 mph, that’s clean, glassy stuff. The swell is coming in at a solid 7 ft from the SW with a long 14-second period. That’s proper groundswell, and the energy is strong (2032). This is a top pick for experienced surfers – it’s got size, it’s got shape, and it’s clean. It’s a bit much for beginners at that height, though. The crowd factor is “sometimes”, so you might have a few out, but nothing chaotic.

Come Thursday afternoon, the wind swings onshore from the SW at 6 mph, putting a bit of a cross-on bump on it, and the swell drops a touch to 7 ft. It’s still rideable, but the morning session is the one.

Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd are pretty ordinary – the wind is onshore and gusty from the WSW, the swell drops right off, and the energy numbers slump into the hundreds. Not worth paddling out for.

Sunday the 23rd gets chunky again quick, but the wind is a fresh cross-onshore at 18–22 mph. The swell hits 8 ft in the morning and then 12 ft by the afternoon, but with that wind, it’s lumpy and messy. The period drops to 8 seconds in the morning – that’s short-period wind swell – so the shape is poor. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session.

Now, Monday the 24th – this is a standout for the big-wave crew, but only if you’re a seasoned charger. The swell is a beast: 12 ft in the morning, jumping to 13 ft by the afternoon, all SW groundswell with a 15 to 16-second period. The combined energy is massive (6599 in the morning, 8052 in the afternoon). The wind is cross-on from the SW at 9–12 mph, so it’s not perfectly clean, but the power is undeniable. This is expert-only territory – way too big for anyone else.

Tuesday the 25th is similar – still pumping at 10 ft, long 15-second period, and the energy is still huge (4255). The wind is light and onshore from the W at 6 mph, which means it’s a bit more manageable, but that size is still only for the experienced. If you’re not confident in overhead-plus, sit this one out.

Wednesday the 26th drops back to 7 ft, but the wind is cross-shore from the NNW at 9 mph creating a bit of chop. The energy is moderate (1710). Not a top day.

Thursday the 27th morning is another good call. The wind is light and cross-off from the NNE at 6 mph – clean conditions. The swell is still a solid 8 ft from the WSW with a 14-second period, and energy is strong (2552). This is for experienced surfers again, but the offshore wind will make it look nice.

Friday the 28th looks very promising. The swell has eased a bit to 6 ft, but the wind is cross-off from the NNE at 9 mph in the morning, dropping to a light cross-off from the NE at 6 mph in the afternoon. That’s clean waves all day. The energy is moderate (1301 to 1208), so it’s not pumping, but the quality will be there. This is a solid pick for a fun, user-friendly session – still a bit much for absolute beginners, but doable for intermediate surfers.

From the 29th of August into the first week of September, the swell tails off a fair bit. On the 29th and 30th, we get some clean cross-off winds, but the swell is only 4 ft to 5 ft, and the energy drops into the hundreds or low thousands. The period is still long at times (up to 21 seconds), which means long, lined-up waves at Muriwai, but it’s small. There’s a gap from around the 31st of August through to the 4th of September where conditions are mostly onshore, winds are strong, and the swell is either tiny or messy. A few days there with barely anything worth paddling for – midweek especially will be quiet.

Best on offer: The Thursday morning the 20th for the big, clean south-west groundswell, and the Friday the 28th for the clean cross-off winds and solid 6 ft swell that’s got plenty of shape. The Monday the 24th is for the heavy crew only. After that, keep an eye on the forecasts, because it does tend to turn around.

Rusty.

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