Piha-The Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, and I’ve got the full rundown for Piha, looking at the next couple of weeks. It’s a mixed bag, but there are some absolute magic windows if you’re willing to wait.

First up, the ocean temp is sitting at 57°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The forecast starts with a bit of a struggle. The 18th and 19th offer some solid southwest swell, 7ft to 7ft, but a stiff southerly breeze keeps things messy. It’s rideable, but you’ll be working for it. Then, things click into place on Thursday the 20th. That morning is a standout. We’re looking at a clean 8ft southwest groundswell with a 14-second period, and the wind is glassy from the SSE. This is serious long-period energy, perfect for a bar like Piha. The combined wave energy is a meaty 2,155, so there’s plenty of push. This is expert territory, though – the power is real. The afternoon holds clean with a 7ft WSW swell, but it’s a bit smaller.

Friday the 21st sees the swell drop and onshore winds creep in, so it’s a step down. Saturday the 22nd is a write-off with onshore wind and rain. Sunday the 23rd is a mess – a short-period, lumpy 8ft to 10ft swell with strong onshore winds. Not worth it.

Now, here’s the next big moment. Monday the 24th. Early morning is glassy again, with a 8ft WSW groundswell and a massive 16-second period. The combined energy is a staggering 4,026. That’s a proper, powerful groundswell. It’s going to be beautiful but very, very strong. By the afternoon, the swell jumps to 12ft, still with that 16-second period, and the energy rockets to 6,609. The wind is a light cross-shore, so it’s going to be a clean, heavy, expert-only session. This is the best on offer in the whole forecast.
Tuesday the 25th is still big, but the wind turns onshore, making it a bit of a battle. Wednesday the 26th holds decent size but the onshore flow continues. Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th are smaller and crumbly, though Friday afternoon sees a glassy window with a 5ft swell that could be a fun, smaller option.

The 29th is a washout with rain, but then we get another monster pulse. Sunday the 30th sees a 13ft west swell, 10-second period, with a light offshore easterly. The energy is 4,314 – huge. Monday the 31st is the biggest day of the lot, with a 23ft WSW groundswell at a 16-second period. The energy is 23,451. That is colossal. The wind is offshore, so it’s clean, but this is strictly for the elite. It’s predicted to be too big for even the experienced surfers here. The first few days of September see it drop back to a solid, clean 12ft to 8ft range, which is still excellent but far more manageable.

So, to sum it up, the absolute standouts are the morning of Thursday the 20th and the morning of Monday the 24th. That Monday window, with the 16-second period and glassy conditions, is the dream. The end of the month is for tow-in crew only.

Rusty.

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