Papanoa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the menu for Papanoa over the next couple of weeks.

We’ve got a solid run of surf ahead, but the first real standout is our Saturday morning session. The water is sitting at 88°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so it’s a bit like bathwater out there. That Saturday morning, we’re looking at 5ft swell from the SW, with a very long period of 16 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The wind is glassy out of the N at just 3 mph, so the conditions are going to be perfect. The combined swell energy is a solid 1182, which tells you there’s plenty of power in the water. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers, and the clean, glassy conditions will make it a real treat. The swell direction is from the SSW, which is the optimum for this spot.

Sunday morning holds up nicely too. Swell drops a touch to 4ft from the SW, still with a long 15-second period, and we’ve got glassy conditions again with a light N wind. Combined energy is 746, so it’s still a good, fun size. A risk of thunderstorms, but the wind is right, so if you’re keen, you’ll be rewarded.

There’s a bit of a gap later in the week where the afternoons get chopped up by WSW winds, but the mornings from Monday through Thursday keep serving up glassy conditions with clean, 4ft to 4ft SW swell. Energy drops a bit through the week, down to 538 by Wednesday, but it’s still fun and clean for a morning paddle.

Now, Friday morning the 21st of August brings a shift. The swell jumps up to 7ft from the SSE, with a shorter period of 10 seconds. The wind is cross-off from the E at 16 mph, which keeps it clean, but the energy is way up at 1123. That’s a bit of a tricky one – the swell direction isn’t the optimum, and it might be a bit lumpy.

Saturday the 22nd of August we’ve got a big swell hitting – 10ft from the S and SSW, with 12-second periods. The combined energy is huge – 3262 – but that’s too big for this break. The wind is cross, so it’s going to be a messy, powerful beast. Unless you’re an expert on a big board, I’d sit this one out. In fact, with that much swell and crosswind, it’s looking more like a kiteboarding day than a paddle session.

Then things settle down again beautifully. Sunday the 23rd of August morning has glassy conditions, 4ft SW swell, and energy of 931. Good, clean fun. Monday the 24th of August morning is also glassy with 4ft from the WSW, and then Monday afternoon we get a surprise – glassy conditions again with 3ft SW swell and a very long 16-second period, energy 872. That’s a sneaky good session.

The end of the run is looking promising. The 29th of August Saturday morning has 5ft SSW swell, 16-second period, glassy conditions, and energy of 1546. That’s another excellent one for experienced surfers. And the 30th of August Sunday morning is calm and glassy with 4ft SSW swell, energy 910. A perfect way to wrap it up.

The standout here is clearly the Saturday morning of the 15th of August – that glassy, 5ft SW groundswell with big energy is the best on offer. The 29th of August Saturday morning is also a top-tier call, but it’s further out, so keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

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