Piha-The Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Piha.

Straight up, this is a proper West Coast swell magnet we’re dealing with, but it’s gonna be a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks. The water temp is sitting at 58°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

We’re starting off with a bit of a wait. The first few days, from Friday the 17th through to Sunday the 19th, are a write-off. The swell is there, for sure—we’re looking at 8ft to 10ft of SW groundswell, but that 12 mph crosswind is going to turn it into a washing machine. The energy is moderate to strong (2305 to 10670), but it’s messy, and the forecast is calling it marginal. Not worth paddling out for.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Monday the 20th. The swell drops a touch to 8ft, still from the WSW, but the wind swings around to a light 6 mph cross-off from the ENE. That’s the magic word: clean. The energy is still solid (2313), and the period is a nice 14 seconds, so there’s proper push in the water. This is going to be a good day for the experienced crew who know how to handle a 8ft swell at Piha. Tuesday the 21st keeps the clean vibes with light cross-off winds, though the swell drops to 6ft. Still plenty of fun to be had.

Then we hit a flat spell. Wednesday the 22nd and Thursday the 23rd are a no-go. The swell drops below 5ft, and the wind gets messy. Friday the 24th is a write-off with a howling 16 mph onshore, and Saturday the 25th is a full-on storm day. 16ft of swell with a 25 mph cross-onshore? That’s not surf, that’s a survival situation. The energy is extreme (6204), but it’s not for paddle surfing. More of a kitesurfing gig if you ask me.

Sunday the 26th of July is where it gets interesting again. The swell jumps back to 8ft of WSW groundswell, and the wind is a light 9 mph cross-off from the SSW. The energy is strong (3552), and the period is a very long 16 seconds. This is a standout for the second week. It’s going to be clean, powerful, and lined up proper. Just remember, with that long period, it might be a bit straight at the beach, so look for the banks.

After that, there’s a run of days with onshore winds from the NW, which will keep things messy until the 29th. Then, on Wednesday the 29th of July, we get another absolute gem. The wind goes completely glassy—0 mph from the NW. The swell is 7ft from the WSW, with a long 13-second period and strong energy (2530). That’s the kind of forecast that gets the heart racing. Clean, glassy, and solid. That’s the pick of the bunch for the second week.

The rest of the month and into August sees a steady 7ft to 8ft of swell, but the winds are mostly onshore or cross-onshore, so it’ll be a bit bumpy. The 1st of August has a clean-ish morning, but the swell is short period (8 seconds), so it won’t have the same grunt.

So, to wrap it up: the best windows are Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st for the first week, and then Sunday the 26th and Wednesday the 29th for the second week. Those are the days to move your schedule around.

Rusty.

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