Piha-The Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let's have a look at what's shaping up for Piha over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a serious pulse of energy coming through. The water temp is sitting at 58°F, which is pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year. Nothing unusual there.

The first real chance to get wet is Thursday the 10th, but honestly, it’s a bit of a write-off. There’s a 6ft WSW swell with a side-onshore breeze, and the wave energy is moderate at 166. It’s just not coming together. You’d be better off waiting.

The story changes big time on Friday the 11th. Friday morning sees the swell jumping to 10ft from the WSW, with a solid 19-second period. That’s proper groundswell. The wind is a clean cross-off from the SSW, and the wave energy is strong at 9145. This is for the advanced crew only – 10ft is big, and with that long period, it’ll be heaving and powerful. Piha is an exposed beach, so with that long period, expect some straight, heavy walls. The morning is the pick, but it’s a solid session if you’ve got the skills.

Friday afternoon gets even bigger. The swell hits 15ft from the SW, period 18 seconds, and the energy rockets to 23578 – that’s very strong. Wind stays cross-off. This is for experts only. It’s massive, and it’s going to be a proper beast. Not a day for the faint-hearted.

Saturday the 12th is still huge. The swell is 16ft from the SW in the morning, with a 16-second period. The wind is cross-shore, and it’s going to be lumpy. The energy is at 16873 – still very strong. For the pros, it’s on, but for everyone else, this is a day to watch. Saturday afternoon drops a bit to 12ft, but the wind stays cross-shore, so it’s still challenging.

Sunday the 13th is more of the same. 15ft in the morning, 13ft in the afternoon, all from the SW with a 16-second period. The wind is cross-shore. The energy is in the very strong range. This is a solid run of big, powerful swell, but it’s going to be a battle against the wind chop.

Monday the 14th sees the swell start to back off. It’s 12ft in the morning and 10ft in the afternoon, with a gentler breeze. The energy is still moderate. It’s dropping, but it’s still a big, powerful ocean.

From Tuesday the 15th through to the start of the weekend, the conditions get messy. The swell drops, but the wind goes onshore or cross-onshore, creating choppy, lumpy conditions. The wave energy is moderate to weak. It’s not a great window.

Now, there’s a standout in the distance. Look at Thursday the 24th of September. The morning is glassy. The wind is from the SSE at 0 mph. The swell is 5ft from the SW with a 13-second period, and the energy is moderate at 818. That’s clean, glassy conditions on a decent, long-period swell. It’s over a week away, so keep an eye on it, but that Thursday morning has the potential to be the best of the whole run. The afternoon is a bit lighter, with a light cross-shore breeze.

Friday the 25th is a return to onshore winds and weaker swell.

So, the standout for the whole period is that Thursday the 24th morning at Piha. It’s a promising, glassy day with a solid SW swell. The big stuff from the 11th to the 13th is for the experts only. For the rest, wait for that Thursday.

Rusty.

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