Ohara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s in store for Ohara. It’s a slow start, then a big slug of energy that’s only for the experienced, and then a bit of a tail-off.

The first few days are pretty quiet. Friday the 31st of July has weak, small swell. The morning shows a 0.7m SSW swell at a short 6 seconds, with a cross-onshore breeze making it choppy—combined energy is only 86 (weak). The afternoon cleans up a little with a light cross-offshore wind, but the swell is still tiny at 0.6m from the south at 7 seconds. Very ordinary.

Saturday the 1st of August starts glassy with a 0.4m southeast swell at 11 seconds, but there’s no size. The afternoon sees that swell hold at 0.4m from the southeast, period 16 seconds, with an offshore wind giving clean conditions. Combined energy is still low at 139 (moderate), but it’s too small to ride.

Sunday the 2nd is where it gets a bit more interesting. The morning has a 1.1m southeast swell at 16 seconds—a proper long-period groundswell. Combined energy jumps to 692 (moderate), but the wind is cross-shore, creating a little chop. The afternoon holds 1.2m at 15 seconds, energy 746 (moderate), but still cross-shore.

Then the big stuff arrives. From Monday the 3rd of August, a massive southeast swell builds. Monday morning sees 2.2m at 17 seconds, but with a moderate cross-onshore wind, it’s messy. Tuesday the 4th has 3.5m at 17 seconds, combined energy 6958 (strong) to 8000 (very strong). The wind is still cross-onshore at 25 km/h. Wednesday the 5th peaks with a 4.0m to 4.5m SSE swell, period 17 seconds, and combined energy hitting 10377 and 12633 (very strong). The wind is howling cross-onshore. This is expert-only and rough.

The standout window is Thursday the 6th of August through Friday the 7th. The swell is still huge—4.5m dropping to 4.0m on Thursday, and 3.0m to 2.5m on Friday—but the wind turns favourable. Thursday afternoon has a cross-offshore breeze with a 4.0m SSE swell at 16 seconds, clean conditions, combined energy 7740 (very strong). Friday morning has a light cross-offshore wind with a 3.0m south swell at 15 seconds, clean. By Friday afternoon, the swell drops to 2.5m from the south, period 15 seconds, combined energy 2981 (strong), and a gentle cross-offshore wind—clean lines for the experienced. This is the best on offer: big, powerful, and clean. Experts only.

After that, things settle. Saturday the 8th of August has a 1.4m SSW swell at 15 seconds, but cross-shore winds. Sunday the 9th is similar with a 1.7m ESE swell at 14 seconds. The second week from Monday the 10th is mostly poor with onshore winds. There’s a glimmer on Thursday the 13th of August, with a 2.3m ESE swell at 12 seconds and a fresh offshore wind, giving clean conditions and combined energy 1421 (moderate). Friday the 14th is back to poor.

So, the one true standout is Friday the 7th of August afternoon at Ohara. That 2.5m south swell, period 15 seconds, with a clean cross-offshore breeze is the pick. It’s big and clean, but only for the experienced. The water temperature is about average for this time of year.

That’s the rundown. The first few days are small, then a monster pulse hits, with a clean window on the 7th. After that, it fades.

Rusty.

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