Piha-The Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at this Piha-The-Bar forecast for a while now. There’s a serious run of big, powerful swell coming through, but it’s not all clean sailing. The early part of the window is a real standout for quality, even if the size is intimidating. The first date with surf is Sunday, 26 July, and it kicks off with a bang.

Sunday morning, 26 July, the water temp is sitting at 57°, which is pretty much normal for the time of year. The swell is a solid 13 ft from the WSW with a very long 15-second period, packing a massive 7511 (strong wave energy). This is a serious groundswell, and for a spot like Piha-The-Bar (New Zealand) – an exposed beach setup – that long period will make it break fast and straight. It’s a proper expert-only wave. The wind is glassy from the NNE at 3 mph, so the surface will be perfect. The energy is huge, but the conditions are exceptional for those with the skills. Sunday afternoon drops to 12 ft, WSW, 14 seconds (4346 energy), with a clean offshore ESE breeze at 6 mph. Still excellent for experienced surfers, but the size remains serious.

Monday the 27th is a comedown. The swell drops to 10 ft in the morning, WSW, 13 seconds (2682 energy), but the wind swings to a moderate S at 12 mph, making it cross-offshore and bumpy. The quality drops away, and the afternoon is similar with 8 ft and cross-off wind. This is a pass for the most part.

Tuesday the 28th looks better. Morning brings 7 ft from the WSW, 12 seconds (1075 energy), with a light offshore SSE breeze at 6 mph. The surface will be clean, and the wave state is excellent for experienced surfers. The energy is moderate, but the shape will be good. Afternoon is smaller at 5 ft, still clean enough.

Wednesday the 29th is small and messy. The swell is only 4 ft, and the wind is onshore or cross-shore. Not worth the paddle.

Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st see a building swell but with poor wind. Friday morning has 6 ft with a moderate cross-onshore WNW breeze, and the afternoon gets nasty with a fresh cross-onshore wind at 22 mph and 8 ft swell. This is a kite-surfing setup, not a paddle session.

Saturday the 1st of August is the biggest day of the window, but it’s a write-off. The swell hits 18 ft from the WSW with a very long 14-second period, energy at 12077 (very strong), but the wind is onshore and stormy. Dangerous and messy.

Now, the real standout for the second week is Sunday, the 2nd of August. The wind finally cleans up. Morning brings a strong 12 ft from the SW, 12 seconds (3369 energy), with a moderate SSE offshore breeze at 16 mph. The surface will be clean, and the wave state is excellent for experienced surfers. The energy is strong, but the wind is the key. This is the best on offer in the 16-day window. The size is over 8 ft, so it’s for experts only, and the beach break might be a bit straight with that period, but the offshore wind will hold it up.

After that, the swell drops but stays clean. Tuesday the 4th of August is another promising call. The morning shows 8 ft from the SW, but with a very long 18-second period, energy at 4857 (strong). The wind is light offshore SE at 6 mph. That long period will make the waves at Pitha-The-Bar a bit tricky, but the clean conditions and strong energy make it worth a look for the skilled crew. The Wednesday the 5th of August morning has 7 ft, WSW, 15 seconds (1809 energy), with a near-glass E wind. Clean and consistent.

The very end of the window, from the 7th of August onwards, is smaller and the wind is inconsistent. The swell drops to around 5 ft to 4 ft, and the wind is cross-offshore or cross-on. The energy is weak to moderate. Not a total loss, but nothing to get excited about. The best bet is to wait for that Sunday the 2nd of August – that’s your moment.

Rusty.

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