Ohara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s look at what Ohara’s got cookin’ over the next couple weeks. It’s a slow starter, but there’s a big payoff if you’re patient.

The first real chance to surf doesn’t pop up until Thursday the 17th of July, and it’s nothing to write home about. There’s a long gap from the start of the period right through the morning of the 18th of July where the surf is tiny and the conditions are just plain average. The best of that early stretch is a piddly 2ft swell on the 15th, but with a 25 km/h southerly wind, it’s choppy and not worth the paddle.

From the 18th of July, things start to build. Saturday the 18th sees a 4ft swell from the ESE with a 9-second period, but it’s cross-off and the combined energy (194-216) is only moderate. It’s surfable, but you won’t be calling your mates.

Then we hit the first real standouts. Sunday the 19th of July is where it gets good. The morning brings a 4ft ESE swell, 9-second period, and a light offshore southerly breeze at just 5 km/h. The combined energy hits 329 (moderate), and the afternoon cleans up with 4ft waves and a 10 km/h offshore wind (366 energy). That’s clean, fun surf. The 20th of July is even better: Monday morning is glassy with a 4ft east swell, 10-second period, and a combined energy of 290. That’s a session you’d get up early for.

The 21st of July, Tuesday, is a beauty. The morning is glassy again with a 5ft east swell, 10-second period, and the energy is solid at 414. The afternoon goes offshore with a 15 km/h southerly and the period stretches to 11 seconds, pushing energy to 481. This is the pick of the first week. The 22nd of July, Wednesday, offers very good conditions with a 5ft east swell and 11-second period, but there’s a risk of thunderstorms.

The real standout, the one you’ll want to circle on the calendar, is Wednesday the 29th of July. That afternoon, Ohara gets a 5ft SE groundswell with a very long 15-second period, and light offshore winds. The combined energy is a massive 1244 (strong). That’s serious, powerful, clean swell. The morning of the 29th is also excellent with a 5ft SE swell and 15-second period (857 energy). This is the kind of day that makes the flat spells worth it. Just remember, with that long period, it’s a groundswell that’ll work better on the points and reefs than the beach breaks.

Ohara is an exposed break that’s inconsistent, so it doesn’t fire often. When it does, like on the 29th, it’s a gem. The water temp is about 78°, which is average for this time of year, so no need for a thick wetsuit.

The 30th of July sees a bigger 7ft SE swell, but it’s wrecked by a strong 35 km/h cross-onshore wind. That’s only for experts, and even then, it’s lumpy and ugly. The setup there looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Bottom line: the best windows are the 19th to the 21st of July, and the absolute standout is the 29th of July. Get on it.

Rusty

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