Ohara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

We’re looking at a pretty quiet start to the outlook at Ohara, with a long stretch of small, ordinary surf from Tuesday the 18th right through to the end of the week. The water is sitting at 81°, which is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there. The first few days are a real struggle – tiny waves around 1ft to 3ft just won’t get the heart pumping. Light winds keep things clean, but there’s just no grunt. The combined energy is weak, mostly below 200. It’s a waiting game.

Saturday the 22nd afternoon shows a flicker of life, with a gentle offshore wind and a clean 3ft ESE swell, but it’s still nothing to write home about. The real turnaround starts to brew on Sunday the 23rd afternoon, with a solid 3ft groundswell from the E and a clean offshore flow. The energy is picking up to 206, and it’s a sign of better things to come.

The standout window is Monday the 24th of August. The morning brings a solid 8ft SSE groundswell with a very long 16-second period, and the afternoon pushes it to 8ft. The combined energy jumps to a massive 3388. This is big, powerful groundswell. At this size, over 8ft, it’s strictly for experienced surfers. The wind is offshore in the afternoon, keeping it clean. This is the best on offer, full stop. The long period means it’ll be best on a reef or point, but the setup here is exposed.

Tuesday the 25th morning is a bit of a tease. The swell is predicted at 10ft with a glassy wind, but the file flags it as too big for this break. The afternoon drops back to 8ft and is still excellent for the pros. The energy stays high through Wednesday and Thursday, with 8ft to 8ft swells and clean conditions, but it’s all still in the expert-only zone.

After the 27th, the swell drops back to a more manageable 5ft to 6ft for the weekend, but the wind picks up, and by the 28th afternoon, a moderate cross-shore chop creeps in. The surf quality drops and the energy fades to 926. The 29th and 30th of August are messy, with strong winds and poor conditions. The 30th sees a short-period 7-second SE windswell that’s just a write-off with a strong breeze.

Looking way out, Monday the 1st of September brings another massive spike, with a 12ft SE swell, but again, it’s flagged as too big for the break. The energy reading is off the charts at 16067 on the 31st of August afternoon. This is a serious, serious swell, but not for paddling here. The outlook fades out on the 2nd of September with a 7ft SE swell and moderate energy, but the quality is marginal.

Rusty out.

Read more