Muriwai Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, grab a coffee, let’s see what Muriwai’s got cookin’ for us over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a wild ride ahead, so strap in.

First up, we’re looking at a pretty lengthy dry spell – there's no good surf on the cards for the first four days, through to the end of Wednesday the 16th. The big fella is just too angry out there, with huge SW groundswell (17-second period) coming in over 15 ft, and a nasty cross-onshore wind turning it into a washing machine. That’s a solid pass for paddling; you’d need a death wish, not a surfboard. The combined energy is absolutely pumping at over 10,000, which is extreme, but it’s all messy and blown out.

Things finally start to show a glimmer on Thursday morning, the 17th. We get a drop in size to a still-chunky 6 ft from the WSW, but the real story is the wind swinging NNE and going cross-offshore. The combined energy (984) is moderate, but the wave comment says “clean,” and for Muriwai, a bit of a cross-off breeze is a blessing. It’s not the best quality, but it’s the first real window to paddle out without getting smashed.

Moving into Friday the 18th, the morning looks cross-shore and a bit lumpy with an 8 ft WSW swell. But the standout, and I mean the real standout of this whole outlook, is Friday afternoon. We’ve got a 10 ft swell, still from the WSW, combined energy of 4246 (strong), but the wind is NNE at 12 mph going cross-off, and it’s *clean*. The forecast says it might be too big for this break, but for experienced surfers, this is game on. That long-period groundswell (16 seconds) is going to hold up well on the bank, and with clean conditions, those sandbars are gonna line up. This is the session to circle on the calendar.

Now, the shine wears off fast. Saturday the 19th brings in a full-on westerly storm – rain, howling 19 mph cross-onshore wind, and a 10 ft bumpy mess. It’s a no-go. That pattern of big, windy, and cross-onshore sticks around right through the middle of the second week, with swell heights holding between 10 ft and 13 ft, and combined energy regularly over 5,000. It’s pure chaos.

For the adventurous expert crew, Monday the 21st morning and Wednesday the 23rd afternoon have the notes saying “wind and tide favorable, but too big” – that’s code for “you better be on a gun and know what you’re doing.” The Wednesday arvo has a huge 15 ft SW swell with that massive 15-second period, and moderate cross-shore wind. It’s a freight train.

Then, on Thursday the 24th, we finally catch a break in the wind. Thursday morning is a beauty: a 13 ft WSW groundswell, but the wind goes light SE, which is cross-offshore. The combined energy is a massive 6963 (strong), but the comment says “too big for this break” with “clean” conditions. This is a *very* big, very clean, heavy swell. Only for the pros who know the rip bowls.

The last few days, from the 26th to the 28th, turn back to poor with onshore winds and solid lumpy swell. It’s a messy end to the run.

So, to boil it down: The whole forecast is big and challenging. The single best bet for the average punter who wants a clean, ridable wave is Friday 18th September afternoon at Muriwai Beach – that 10 ft WSW with cross-offshore NNE breeze is as good as it gets in this window. For the big-wave chargers, Thursday 24th September morning with that 13 ft clean, cross-off swell is the one, but you’ve gotta earn it.

Keep a close eye on those wind shifts – with that much swell in the water, the right breeze can turn a grim day into an epic one.

- Rusty

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