Piha-The Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Looks like the next couple of weeks are shaping up for a serious run of solid groundswell, but it's gonna take a patient crew to unlock the good ones. The main story is the size: we're talking a whole lot of swell overhead and a lot bigger, which means this is expert territory for most of the run. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no wetsuit surprises there.

The first week is a write-off, honestly. From Monday 31st of August right through to Wednesday 9th of September, we've got a relentless barrage of big, messy, wind-affected swell at Piha-The-Bar. The combined energy is massive – we're seeing values in the thousands (6545, 8645, 9853) – but the wind is just ruining it. Fresh to strong cross-onshore and cross-shore winds are making it lumpy, choppy, and bloody awful. The swell is consistently between 10 ft and 16 ft, which is way too big for beginners, and with that short period windswell energy, it's just a washing machine. Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th of September have a brief window of onshore winds, but the surf quality is still poor. There's a tiny glimmer on Saturday 5th of September with light winds and a 10 ft to 12 ft WSW swell (period 15 seconds), but it's still only rated as marginal due to tide. The following days see the size climb again, with a massive 20 ft swell on Monday 7th September (combined energy over 20000) – that's just a heavy, dangerous beast for the few who can handle it.

Now, the good news. The pattern shifts significantly from Thursday 11th September onwards. The swell direction swings more consistently SW, and the wind finally turns cross-shore, which is a huge improvement. The size is still solid – 10 ft to 16 ft (moderate to strong energy, over 7000) – but the wind is lighter, and the period is long (17 to 19 seconds), meaning proper groundswell lines. For the experienced crew, this is where it gets interesting. The morning of Friday 12th September is a standout: a 15 ft SW swell with a 17-second period and moderate cross-shore wind. The combined energy is a massive 11766, and the wind is clean. It's a big, powerful swell, but the conditions are right for a serious session for those who know the bar. The afternoon is similar at 16 ft, also looking good.

Heading into the second week, the swell stays in the 10 ft to 13 ft range with clean cross-shore winds. Sunday 13th and Monday 14th September are both solid with moderate winds, but the real gem might be the very last day, Tuesday 15th September. The morning sees an 8 ft WSW groundswell with a 14-second period, light winds, and glassy conditions. The combined energy is 4056 – moderate, but the conditions are described as "excellent" for experienced surfers. That's a window of opportunity for a clean, powerful session on the bar.

So, the best on offer is Saturday 12th September for the big, powerful groundswell with clean cross-shore winds, and Tuesday 15th September for the most user-friendly conditions in the whole period. Keep your eyes on those long-range dates, because the forecast is promising but not locked in yet.

Rusty.

Read more