Piha-The Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the menu for Piha-The-Bar over the next couple of weeks.

We’ve got a proper run of solid swell ahead, but it’s not all smooth sailing. The first few days are a bit messy with onshore and cross-shore winds, so you’ll be battling a bit of chop. The real standout is Sunday the 19th, when everything lines up for a cracker. The water temp is sitting at 58°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Alright, let’s break it down. The first lot of action kicks off on Wednesday 15 July with a 6ft swell from the WSW, but it’s a bit onshore and the wave comment flags marginal conditions. The combined wave energy is strong at 2924, so there’s plenty of power, but the wind is not your friend. Thursday 16 July is still on the bigger side, up to 10ft, but the wind is cross-onshore, so it’s going to be fairly choppy. Friday 17 July and Saturday 18 July are similar – solid 8ft to 10ft WSW swell, but cross-shore winds keep it from being clean. The energy is still strong, ranging from 2305 up to 3784, but it’s not the kind of day you’ll be telling your mates about.

Now, Sunday 19 July – this is the pick of the bunch. The swell holds at a solid 10ft from the SW, with a 16-second period, so that’s some proper groundswell. The combined energy is a massive 5300 – that’s very strong. But the real beauty is the wind: SE at 9 mph, which is offshore and clean. The wave comment says “exceptional surf for expert surfers” – and that’s exactly what it is. This is a big, powerful wave for the experienced crew. The afternoon eases to a cross-offshore breeze, still clean. Monday 20 July and Tuesday 21 July are still good, with the swell dropping from 7ft to 5ft, and the wind staying light and offshore or cross-offshore. The energy drops to a moderate 1049 by Tuesday morning, but the waves are clean and fun.

After that, it fades out. Wednesday 22 July through Friday 24 July sees the swell drop to 4ft to 5ft, and the wind goes onshore or cross-onshore. The energy is weak, around 418 to 732. Not much to write home about. Saturday 25 July is a write-off with light rain and strong onshore wind, and the energy jumps back up to 1419, but it’s messy. The following week, from Sunday 26 July to Tuesday 28 July, the swell picks up again to 8ft, but the wind is mostly cross-offshore or onshore, and the wave comments are marginal to poor. Energy is moderate to strong, up to 3506, but conditions are not clean.

Finally, Wednesday 29 July morning brings a little glimmer: glassy conditions with a 6ft SW swell, period 12 seconds, and a combined energy of 1068. The wave comment says “excellent” for experienced surfers. That’s a nice, clean session if you can get out, but it’s short-lived as the wind goes onshore later. The last couple of days, 30 July, are small and marginal.

So, the clear standout is Sunday 19 July. That’s the day for the advanced crew. If you want something a bit more manageable, Tuesday 21 July morning is clean and fun. The rest of the run has some size, but the wind is mostly against you.

Rusty

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