Piha-The Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let me break it down for you.

First up, it’s been a bit flat and messy, but the good news is we’ve got some serious swell on the horizon. The forecast is looking a bit like a slow burn, starting with some solid but tricky sessions before we get to the real standouts. The water temperature is sitting about 57°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first real chance to get wet is from Wednesday morning the 19th of August. It’s not going to be perfect, but there’s a solid 7ft SW groundswell pushing in with a long 11-second period. The combined energy is strong at 2130, so there’s plenty of power. The wind is a cross-off from the SSE at 19 mph, which keeps things clean but a bit tricky. It’s definitely an advanced only affair at Piha-The-Bar. The swell is a bit too big for beginners, and the crowd factor is sometimes an issue here, so keep your head on a swivel.

Thursday the 20th of August looks cleaner. The swell drops slightly to 8ft in the morning, still from the SW, but the period stretches to 14 seconds – that’s proper groundswell. The wind is light from the SSE at 6 mph, making for a clean morning session. The combined energy is still pumping at 2265. This is excellent for experienced surfers. The afternoon sees a bit more wind from the SSW, but it’s still a solid 7ft and very clean.

Now, things get a bit average from Friday the 21st through to the middle of the following week. The wind turns onshore or cross-onshore, the swell drops, and the quality tanks. From Friday morning through to Saturday the 29th, it’s mostly a write-off – onshore winds, lumpy conditions, and poor surf quality. There’s a bit of a window on Monday the 24th afternoon with a 10ft SW swell and a huge 16-second period, but the wind is cross-shore, so it’s a bit chopped. The energy is massive at 5081, but the conditions are only marginal.

The real standout, the one you’ve been waiting for, is shaping up for Sunday the 30th of August. The morning brings a 4ft WSW groundswell with an incredibly long 18-second period. The combined energy is still strong at 1965, and the wind is a light cross-off from the ENE at 9 mph. That’s clean, lined-up waves. This is excellent for experienced surfers, and it’s a great pick for a long, smooth paddle out.

But the absolute best of the bunch? That’s Thursday the 3rd of September. Mark it. The morning is looking glassy – dead calm, with a light ESE breeze at 3 mph. The swell is a solid 12ft from the SW with a very long 16-second period. The combined energy is off the charts at 5947. This is exceptional surf, but it’s for experts only. The swell is big, and the period is so long it’ll be breaking straight at the beach, so it’s really a reef or point wave kind of day. The afternoon is still good, but the wind swings a bit cross-shore. This is the one to aim for.

Rusty.

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