Ohara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me break it down for you. The next couple of days are pretty flat and messy, but we’ve got a solid window of cleaner, more powerful swell coming in, especially from Wednesday the 29th onwards. The standout period is looking like Sunday the 2nd of August, with a really nice combo of size and glassy conditions.

Right now, Tuesday morning the 28th at Ohara is a bit of a write-off. We’ve got a weak cross-onshore breeze and tiny 3ft swell from the east-northeast, with a combined energy of just 154 – that’s pretty weak. The water temp is sitting at 81°, which is about 2° warmer than usual for this time of year, so it’s a touch above average but nothing crazy. The afternoon cleans up a little with a gentle offshore wind from the south-southwest, but the swell drops to 2ft and the energy is only 117. It’s surfable, but you’d be paddling for scraps.

Wednesday morning the 29th is where things start to get interesting. We’ve got a glassy, dead-calm morning with a 5ft swell from the southwest, period around 7 seconds, and combined energy pushing 384. That’s moderate energy, and with no wind, the surface will be like a mirror. This is a strong candidate for the best on offer. The afternoon stays clean with a light offshore from the south, swell dropping slightly to 5ft but still solid.

Thursday the 30th is a step down – morning has a light cross-off breeze and a small 2ft swell from the south-southwest, energy down to 88. The afternoon sees a clean offshore breeze but the swell is a tiny 1ft. Not worth getting excited about.

Friday the 31st and Saturday the 1st of August are pretty grim – cross-onshore winds, small swell, and energy readings under 100 most of the time. There’s a long-period swell showing on Saturday morning (15 seconds) but it’s only 1ft and the wind is cross-shore, creating chop. Not recommended.

Now, Sunday the 2nd of August is the real highlight. Morning brings a 3ft swell from the southeast, period 14 seconds, and combined energy of 439 – that’s moderate energy, but the long period means better shaped waves. The wind is a light cross-offshore, keeping things clean. The afternoon is even better: 4ft swell from the southeast, 15 seconds, energy jumping to 622. That’s solid moderate energy, and the wind is a light cross-offshore. This is the best window of the whole forecast – clean, long-period groundswell, and a size that’s good for intermediates. Keep in mind that long period swells can make beach breaks a bit too straight, but Ohara should handle it fine.

Monday the 3rd of August gets bigger, but the wind turns cross-onshore from the east-northeast, with 7ft to 8ft swell and energy up in the thousands (2493 and 3149). That’s strong energy, but the wind is creating chop, so it’s a bit junky. Still, for the experienced crew, there’ll be some power.

Tuesday the 4th and Wednesday the 5th of August are straight-up big. The swell hits 12ft to 39ft, with energy readings over 15,000 and even 82,927. That’s way too big for most – the wind is cross-onshore and strong, making it lumpy. The file says the swell is predicted to be too big for this break, so unless you’re an expert on a big-wave gun, give it a miss.

The rest of the second week is a mix of messy cross-shore winds and dropping swell, with a few clean windows on Thursday the 6th and Friday the 7th, but the wind is still moderate. The best of the later period might be Wednesday the 12th of August, with a clean offshore wind from the south-southwest and a 5ft swell from the east, period 12 seconds, and energy of 650 – that’s moderate energy, and the wind is offshore, so it’s a promising option, but it’s a long way out so keep an eye on it.

Crowds at Ohara can be a thing sometimes, so if you hit the glassy Wednesday morning or the Sunday afternoon window, you might have some company, but the quality should be worth it.

Rusty.

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