Piha-The Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve got the outlook for Piha Beach – specifically the Bar. Straight up, this is a stretch built for big-wave hunters, and she’s gonna be throwing plenty of meat, but the wind is the real spoiler for most of the run. You’ll have to wait for the payoff.

The water’s sitting at 58°F – dead average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first real chance to surf doesn’t come until Saturday, 5 September. The morning shows a 10 ft SW swell (14-second period) with a gentle cross-shore breeze. The combined energy is pumping (3417) – that’s a solid wall of power – but it’s a bit lumpy with a cross-chop. It’s marginal, but the best we’ve seen so far. The afternoon gets a bit messier as the wind swings cross-on.

Sunday, 6 September morning is worth a look. We’ve got a 12 ft WSW swell, a 16-second period, and only a gentle cross-onshore breeze. The energy is huge (6073), but the wind is just enough to keep it from being glassy. Still, these are serious waves – only for the experienced crew.

The real standout, the one you circle on the calendar, is Saturday, 12 September morning. The conditions are exceptional. You’ve got a 13 ft SW swell (17-second period), a light cross-offshore breeze from the south, and the whole thing is clean. The combined energy is insane (9059). This is a big, powerful groundswell with a very long period, so it’ll be walling up and holding its shape – expect long, glassy walls and long lulls between sets. This is an expert-only session. The Bar will be handling that size, but it’s gonna be intimidating. The cross-offshore wind will keep the faces clean, making it pure, heavy, and beautiful. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, but on a wave like this, the lineup tends to thin out.

After that, Monday, 14 September morning offers a 12 ft SW swell (15-second period) with a cross-shore breeze and a moderate chop (5297 energy). It’s not the same quality, but the swell is still there.

The rest of the run is a write-off. The wind is mostly cross-on or onshore, often fresh or strong, and the conditions are either poor or marginal. From Wednesday, 2 September through to Friday, 11 September, it’s a lot of onshore slop, lumpy, and choppy – not worth paddling out. The same goes for the back half of the month.

Forget the beginners. Anything over 8 ft here is expert territory, and we’ve got plenty of that. Truth be told, with the strong winds and the beach setup, the conditions on days like Thursday, 10 September afternoon look more interesting for the kite crowd than us paddle surfers – strong cross-shore with messy chop.

So, the call is clear: Saturday, 12 September morning is the one. That’s the standout. The rest is a waiting game.

Rusty.

Read more