Piha-The Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, it's Rusty here, and I'm looking at a pretty full-on window ahead for Piha. We've got a real mix of conditions coming our way, but you've got to be patient – the first week is a write-off for any decent surfing, with messy, gutless or dangerous conditions dominating through to around the 10th of September. There's a flash of incredible potential mid-month, but it comes with a huge caveat.

The early part of the outlook, starting from the 4th of September, is just plain ugly. On Friday morning, we've got a solid 8 ft WSW swell, but it's hammered by a 19 mph onshore NW wind. The combined energy is moderate at 3178, but with that wind, it's just a washing machine. Forget it. Saturday morning shows a slight improvement with an 12 ft WSW swell (5021 energy) and a cross-shore wind, but the quality is still marginal at best. Sunday and Monday see the swell jumping between 10 ft and 12 ft, but with onshore and cross-onshore winds up to 19 mph, the surface is going to be horrendous – lumpy and choppy. Tuesday the 8th and Wednesday the 9th offer some relief with smaller 5 ft to 7 ft WSW swells, but cross-onshore winds still ruin the face. The energy drops right down to 1087 by Wednesday afternoon, so it's weak and messy. Thursday the 10th is more of the same: small, onshore-influenced slop.

Now, here’s where it gets wild. On Friday the 11th of September, a massive groundswell arrives. We’re looking at a 23 ft WSW swell with a very long 20-second period – that’s serious energy, clocking in at a whopping 35681. The wind is forecast to be a clean, cross-off SSW breeze at 19 mph, creating perfect conditions. For an expert surfer, this is the stuff of legend, but you have to read the fine print: the report flags it as too big for this break. With size over 8 ft, it's strictly for experts only. This monster is more suited to a reef or point, not the exposed beach break. Saturday the 12th is still huge at 20 ft (19380 energy) but the wind goes cross-shore, adding chop, so it's for the brave and skilled only. Sunday the 13th drops to a still-considerable 13 ft (11269 energy), but cross-shore winds keep it lumpy. The standout session here is undoubtedly the Friday morning 11th – clean, 23 ft, 20-second groundswell. If you can handle it, and you know the bar like the back of your hand, you might score the wave of your life. Otherwise, it's a death wish.

After that peak, the second week from the 15th sees the swell settle. The water temp is sitting around 57°F, which is about normal for the time of year. Tuesday the 15th looks promising: a clean 10 ft SW swell (4101 energy) with a cross-off S wind at 19 mph. Not huge, but clean and with a bit of punch. Wednesday the 16th is a no-go with onshore winds wrecking the 7 ft SW swell. From Thursday the 17th onwards, the energy drops right out, down to 531, with strong, messy cross-shore winds, and the period shortens. It's a flat, choppy end to the run. The sole real standout in this entire 16-day window is the Friday morning 11th, but only if you're an expert ready for a serious challenge.

Rusty.

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