Piha-The Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mates, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what the ocean’s got cooking for Piha over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, so settle in.

We’ve got some serious size on the way early on, but it’s a rough-and-tumble start. The real gem is hiding out at the end of the forecast, so keep that in mind.

We kick things off on Sunday, the 16th. The morning sees a solid 8.2ft from the WSW, but it’s a bit ragged with a cross-off breeze and rain showers. Water temp is a normal 56.8° for this time of year. The energy is strong, with a reading of 4732, but it’s just not that clean. The afternoon, though, is where the early action is. The swell jumps to a powerful 11.5ft from the SW with a 16-second period, and the energy goes through the roof to a very strong 6486. It’s still cross-off with a gentle breeze, and it’s looking clean. This is proper, heavy Piha. This is exceptional surf for experts; for anyone else, it’s too big. This is the standout for the first few days.

Monday, the 17th, will still have a big SW swell at 13.1ft in the morning, but a stronger S cross-off wind of 25 km/h will make it more challenging. The energy remains very strong at 6419, but the quality drops off due to the wind. By the afternoon, the wind picks up more, and it’s just a bit more of a wrestle. It’s big, it’s powerful, but it’s not pretty.

Tuesday and Wednesday drop in size a bit, down to the 6.6-7.5ft range. The wind stays cross-off from the S, but the energy drops significantly. It’s not bad, but it’s a lot of work for what’s on offer. The period is shortening too, down to 13-14 seconds. It’s surfable, but the magic of Sunday is gone.

Then we get a nice little pulse of clean conditions on Thursday, the 20th. The swell backs off to 7.5ft from the SW, but the wind goes light offshore from the SSE at just 5 km/h in the morning. The energy is moderate at 2155, but that clean, glassy surface is a huge plus. This is a much better prospect for experienced surfers. The afternoon drops to 5.6ft but stays clean and light.

Things go a bit quiet after that. Friday and the weekend see the swell back off and the winds turn onshore, making for poor conditions. From the 21st through the 24th, it’s a bit of a write-off. There’s not much size, and the wind is all over the place. We’re looking at a gap of a few days with no real recommendations. You’d be better off finding something else to do than paddling out into that.

The surf comes back with a bit more size from the 25th, but it’s onshore and messy. This leads us into the next real standout. The 26th of August, a Wednesday, sees a big pulse of swell. It’s 11.5ft in the morning and 9.8ft in the afternoon, but the wind is the issue. The morning is onshore, but the afternoon swings around to a light SW cross-shore, cleaning things up. The energy is massive, at 6389. It’s a powerful, solid swell for the experts, but it’s a far cry from the perfection of that Sunday.

The winds get nasty again on the 27th, putting a dampener on things. But hold on, because the long-range forecast is looking very promising. We’re looking at Saturday, the 29th. It’s a week and a half away, so treat it with a bit of caution, but the model is showing a big one. The morning has 11.5ft of SW swell with a very strong energy reading of 7622. The wind is light and cross-onshore, but it’s not ideal. However, the afternoon looks better with a moderate cross-shore breeze.

But the real gem is Sunday, the 30th of August. This is the one to circle on the calendar. The swell is a solid 8.2ft from the WSW with a long 16-second period, and the energy is strong at 3644. But the big news is the wind. We're talking glassy conditions in the afternoon, with just a slight air. This is about as good as it gets for Piha. This will be the standout of the entire period. The combo of size, long-period groundswell, and offshore/glassy winds is going to make for some absolutely perfect, clean barrels. The morning looks excellent too, with a light cross-off breeze. This is the one to save your energy for.

The period ends on Monday, the 31st, with a solid, clean 6.2ft from the WSW with light cross-off winds. It’s a good way to wrap things up, with more clean, fun waves

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