Ohara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Ohara over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, mate, the first week or so is a bit of a write-off. We’ve got a long stretch of poor conditions starting Monday the 27th of July, with mostly cross-onshore winds and pretty weak, short-period swell. The wave energy is low, sitting at just 220 (combined energy) at the start. It’s not going to be worth paddling out. That poor run sticks around through the weekend, and even into the start of the next week you’re looking at marginal, messy surf. There’s a bit of a glimmer on Tuesday the 28th of July afternoon when the wind swings offshore (S 20 km/h) and the swell holds around 3 ft from the ENE with an 8-second period, but the quality is only just surfable. It’s not something I’d get excited about.

The real story here is that we’ve got a massive pulse of groundswell building from the 3rd of August onwards. By Monday the 3rd of August morning, the swell jumps to 6 ft from the SE with a very long 17-second period, and combined energy hits 2037. That’s proper energy. But it comes with cross-shore winds and is pushing over 7 ft by the afternoon, so it's already getting into expert territory. The problem is that by Tuesday the 4th of August, the swell has blown out to 10 ft from the ESE, still with that long 17-second period, and the numbers keep climbing right through to the 8th of August, when we’re looking at a massive 28 ft from the SE with a period of 17 seconds and an insane combined energy of 85063. The winds turn offshore or glassy at times, and conditions look clean, but this is way too big for any normal surfer. This is big-wave, experienced-only territory. The break is exposed, and with that kind of size and period, it’s going to be a washing machine at a beach setup.

Because of the sheer size, the best call actually falls on the tail end of the forecast. Monday the 10th of August is where it’s at. The swell has dropped to a much more manageable 7 ft from the ESE with an 8-second period, and combined energy is still solid at 2068. More importantly, we have clean offshore winds from the SSW at 15 km/h in the morning and 20 km/h in the afternoon. That’s gentle-to-moderate offshore and clean. Those are excellent conditions for experienced surfers. The water temperature is sitting at about 80°F, which is roughly normal for the time of year, so no wetsuit needed.

One thing to keep in mind: Ohara is an inconsistent break, so it doesn’t pump every day. But when the swell lines up with that optimum SE direction and you get offshore wind, it can be a gem. There’s a chance of crowds too, so get in early.

So the standout window? Monday the 10th of August – the morning session with 7 ft ESE swell, 8-second period, and clean offshore breeze. That’s your best shot at something special. Tuesday the 11th of August also looks promising with a similar 6 ft SSE swell and offshore winds, but the period jumps to a very long 14 seconds, which might make it a bit wonky for a beach break. Still worth a look if you’re experienced.

For the rest of it, unless you’re a big-wave charger with a jet ski, I’d give the first two weeks a miss.

Stay safe out there.
Rusty

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