Piha-The Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a wild 16-day window ahead for Piha-The-Bar, but you’re going to have to be patient and know what you’re doing. The first few days are a write-off with poor conditions, then the swell absolutely detonates, but it gets too big for most of us. The real gem doesn’t show up until the very end of the run, and it’s a cracker.

Alright, looking out now, the first wave of decent, ridable swell doesn’t roll in until Friday the 18th of September. Before that, it’s just messy onshore slop with a few weak waves – not worth paddling out for.

Friday morning the 18th, the south-west groundswell is piling in at 13 ft! The energy is massive (6232), and it’s got that 11-second period. The wind is a fresh south-south-westerly, blowing cross-offshore, so it’s clean. But look, 13 ft at Piha is a beast. It’s only for the absolute experts. By Friday afternoon, it’s even bigger at 15 ft with the same clean cross-off wind – a serious, heavy-water day for chargers only.

Saturday morning the 19th, the swell hangs in at 15 ft from the south-west, period stretching to 15 seconds – that’s a proper long-period groundswell. The wind is a fresh cross-shore westerly, so it’s lumpy but still ridable. Again, this is strictly for the experienced. The energy is off the charts (9569). Saturday afternoon gets messy with rain and cross-onshore wind. Sunday the 20th is similar: massive 18 ft swell, but the wind is a fresh cross-shore, making it a lumpy, shifty mess. The energy readings are in the thousands – it’s pumping, but for nearly a week straight, it’s simply too big for a standard paddle session. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, honestly.

After that, the swell slowly drops, but the wind stays funky. It’s not until Thursday the 24th of September that things turn magic. That morning, a south-east wind of 9 mph is blowing straight offshore. The swell is still a thumping 13 ft from the south-west, with a very long 16-second period. That’s a proper deep ocean groundswell. The energy reading is 7451. This is exceptional surf for experts only – big, clean, and powerful. Thursday afternoon stays clean with the offshore wind, dropping slightly to 12 ft.

Then we get to the standout. Friday morning the 25th of September. The swell has dropped to a much more manageable 8 ft from the south-west, period is a beautiful 15 seconds. The wind is a light south-south-easterly at 6 mph, blowing offshore. It’s clean, it’s glassy, and the energy is still substantial (3297). This is excellent for experienced surfers, and the crowd factor at Piha is “sometimes,” so it could be busy, but with these conditions, it’s worth jostling for a spot. This is the best on offer – a proper window of quality.

Saturday the 26th of September has the water temp at 58°F, which is about average for the time of year. That morning, the wind is a glassy 3 mph easterly – dead calm. The swell is 6 ft from the south-west, 14-second period. That’s a clean, fun size for a good surfer.

The last few days fade out. Monday the 28th and Tuesday the 29th have small, weak swell with cross-shore wind. Not worth the drive unless you’re desperate. Wednesday the 1st of October has onshore wind and poor conditions.

So, to wrap it up: Don’t get excited about the first week – it’s either small and crap, or massive and dangerous. The one true standout is Friday the 25th of September morning, and the Saturday the 26th glass-off is a solid backup. Get in the water then.

Rusty.

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