Piha-The Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's break this down.

We've got a serious run of solid, powerful groundswell headed our way. The main event is a long-period, heavy swell from the Southwest that's going to be pushing through for a good stretch. The first sniff of decent surf arrives on Friday the 14th, and it just builds from there.

Piha's the only spot on the radar, and it's gonna be a playground for the experienced crew. This is an exposed, advanced-level break, so don't even think about paddling out if you're not comfortable in big, powerful water.

Friday the 14th gets things started with a solid 7ft swell from the WSW, with a 16-second period. The combined energy is already pumping at 1948, and with a light offshore breeze from the SE, the waves are going to be clean and lined up. Good conditions, but the size is already pushing into the big-boy territory.

It really starts to fire from Saturday the 15th. The swell builds to 8ft by the afternoon, and the energy jumps to 4090. The wind swings around to a cross-offshore, which will keep things clean. By Sunday the 16th, we're looking at 10ft to 12ft swell with a combined energy soaring up to 5913. This is serious, powerful surf. The wind is moderate, but still cross-off, so it's rideable for the experts.

The real standout window is Monday the 17th morning. The swell peaks at a solid 13ft from the SW, with a 15-second period and a massive combined energy of 6781. The wind is a fresh cross-offshore breeze, keeping the beast clean. This is the best on offer, pure heavy, powerful groundswell at Piha. It's only for experts, but for them, it's going to be a session to remember.

After that, the swell drops a touch but stays in the 7ft range through to Thursday the 20th. The conditions are still clean, with a standout moment on Thursday the 20th morning when the wind goes glassy, and the swell is a clean 7ft from the SW. That's a gorgeous window for the experienced crew.

The following week, the swell backs off a bit. The water temp is around 57°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

The later part of the window, from the 24th onwards, sees a shift in wind direction that brings in more onshore and cross-onshore conditions, making it choppier. The swell does pick up again around the 29th, with some 12ft+ windswell, but the onshore wind will batter it, making it more of a mess than a clean wave. That's a pass for me.

So, bottom line: if you're an expert and you love heavy, powerful groundswell, the stretch from Sunday the 16th through Tuesday the 18th is your window. The absolute standout is Monday the 17th morning. For the rest of us, keep an eye on that glassy Thursday the 20th morning for a slightly more manageable but still solid session.

Rusty.

Read more