Paritutu and Ngamotu Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s break down what’s coming for the Taranaki coast. This one’s a bit of a rollercoaster, but there’s some real gems if you’ve got the patience.

The main spot is Paritutu and Ngamotu Beach. It’s a fairly consistent break, open to the west, and it can handle a good range of swell. Water temp is around 58°, right about average for this time of year.

We start on Thursday, 6th August with a tiny 0.7m SW swell, but the wind is cross-on and it’s choppy. Not worth suiting up. Friday morning, 7th August, is cleaner with a 0.5m SW swell and a light cross-off breeze, but it’s still pretty ordinary. Then we hit a dry spell. Friday afternoon through Sunday afternoon is a mess – the wind is onshore or cross-on, and the swell gets big and lumpy. Sunday morning, 9th August, has a 3.5m NW swell, but it’s raining and lumpy. This stretch is more for the kite surfers than anyone with a paddle.

Here’s the good stuff. Monday, 10th August morning is the standout of the first week. The swell is 1.2m from the WSW with a long 16-second period, and the wind is glassy – dead flat calm. The combined wave energy is 1026, which is solid. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers, clean and powerful. The only thing is it’s a beach break, so that long period might make it a bit straight, but the glassy conditions will make it worth it. Crowds are only sometimes, so you might have a few company, but it’s a go.

Monday afternoon drops off with a cross-on wind, and Tuesday and Wednesday mornings are clean but smaller. Then we get another big one. Thursday, 13th August morning is a beauty. The swell is 2.5m from the W at 13 seconds, combined energy of 2409, and a clean cross-off breeze from the NE. This is excellent for experienced surfers, and the offshore wind will keep it groomed. Again, it’s a beach break, so the long period might make it a bit walled, but the quality is there. Thursday afternoon is still solid with a 2.4m swell and light cross-shore.

Friday, 14th August, the wind kicks up again, and we get a big 3.0m N swell with a short 8-second period – that’s messy and lumpy. Saturday, 15th August, is huge – 5.0m and 4.5m – but with strong cross-onshore winds, it’s a total loss. Sunday, 16th August, has even bigger swell (5.5m), but the wind is onshore and the forecast says it’s too big for the break. This is expert-only, and honestly, it’s not looking good.

The second week settles down. Monday, 17th August, has a 2.5m WSW swell with a strong offshore ESE wind at 25 km/h. It’s clean but that wind is blowing hard, so paddling out will be a workout. Tuesday, 18th August, is smaller at 1.1m with a cleaner offshore breeze, and Wednesday, 19th August, is glassy again with a 1.2m swell from the WSW. This is a nice, clean option for a morning session. Thursday, 20th August, and Friday, 21st August, both have glassy mornings with 1.1m to 1.3m swells. These are solid, clean, and consistent options for the second week.

So, to wrap it up: the best bets are Monday, 10th August morning for the glassy conditions and solid long-period swell, and Thursday, 13th August morning for the bigger, clean swell with offshore wind. The second week has a run of clean, smaller mornings that are perfect for a relaxed session.

Rusty.

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