Papanoa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let’s have a look at what’s cooking here. This is Papanoa, and we’ve got a solid run of surf coming through over the next couple of weeks. The water’s sitting at a warm 88°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you’ll be in boardies.

The action kicks off Friday afternoon, July 24th, but that first session is a bit of a write-off with a marginal 2ft SSW swell and a 22-second period – that’s super long period groundswell, which can be a bit tricky at beach breaks, but it’s an exposed spot so it’ll wrap in. The wind is onshore and the energy is low (634), so it’s more of a look-and-see. I’d skip that one.

The real standout comes on Saturday morning, July 25th. Glassy as a mirror, clean, with a 4ft SW swell at 21 seconds. The energy jumps right up (1301), and it’s got that excellent condition tag for experienced surfers. This is the pick of the early window. Crowds are possible here, so get in early.

Sunday morning, July 26th, is also a beauty – glassy again, 5ft SW swell with 18-second period, and the energy is strong (2301). Another top-notch session for the experienced crew. Monday morning, July 27th, keeps the run going: glassy, 6ft SW swell at 17 seconds, and lots of energy (2211). These mornings are pure gold.

Tuesday morning, July 28th, is a bit of a wildcard with a risk of thunderstorms, but it’s glassy with a 7ft SSW swell at 17 seconds (2596 energy). That’s proper powerful, and it’s only for the experts. Wednesday morning, July 29th, is clean again with rain showers around, 6ft SSW swell at 16 seconds (1847 energy). Still excellent.

Thursday morning, July 30th, is the last of the real standouts in the first week: glassy, 5ft SSW swell at 14 seconds (1125 energy). Clean and consistent.

After that, the swell drops. Friday morning, July 31st, is still glassy but only 4ft SSW at 13 seconds (691 energy). Good, but not as punchy. Saturday morning, August 1st, is glassy but down to 3ft. From Sunday, August 2nd, onwards, the swell fades into the 2ft to 3ft range, and the winds become more cross-onshore in the afternoons. The mornings still offer glassy windows, but the energy is weak (around 200-300). There’s a little bump on Thursday morning, August 6th, with 3ft SW at 13 seconds (296 energy), but it’s nothing to get too excited about. The final week sees a tiny 1ft SSW swell on Saturday morning, August 8th, with a 16-second period, but the energy is negligible (247).

So, the best on offer is undeniably the stretch from Saturday morning, July 25th, through to Thursday morning, July 30th. If you can only get one session, hit that Saturday morning – it’s the cleanest kick-off with a nice 4ft SW groundswell, glassy, and the energy is building nicely. After that, it’s a steady decline into smaller, weaker surf.

Stay safe out there.

Rusty

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