Piha-The Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s lined up for us.

We’ve got a long window ahead, and to be straight with you, the first few days are a tease. The real juice doesn’t start showing until the second half of the first week, but when it arrives, it’s proper heavy. The opening sessions are clean and inviting, a bit of a calm before the storm.

Let’s start with Wednesday the 9th of September. It’s a gentle way in. Piha-The-Bar is seeing a 5ft swell out of the WSW, with a 12-second period, and the energy reading is around 843 (moderate). The wind is a light cross-off from the ENE at 6 mph, keeping things clean. The morning looks good, but the afternoon actually upgrades—wind drops to glassy from the south at just 3 mph, the swell drops a touch to 4ft, but the energy holds up. That afternoon session is the pick of this first day, with glassy conditions that’ll iron out any bump. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing weird to report. Crowds are sometimes an issue, so you might have to share, but it’s worth it.

Thursday the 10th is a write-off. The swell jumps, but the wind swings onshore and gets strong. The wave state gets chopped up. Not worth paddling out.

Friday the 11th of September – buckle up. The morning kicks off with a 10ft swell from the WSW, 19-second period, and the energy jumps to 8804 (strong). That’s a proper groundswell, with very long period. The wind is a strong cross-off from the south at 22 mph. This is for advanced surfers only – 10ft is big, and with that period, it’ll be powerful and lined up, but it’s heading straight for the beach. It might be a bit too straight for perfect shape, but the power will be there. Then the afternoon… 15ft from the SW, 18-second period, energy at 23586 (very strong). The wind is cross-off again, but the forecast says it’s actually too big for this break. If you’re an absolute expert, that’s the call of the week, but for anyone else, it’s a spectator session. The sheer size and energy are the standout here.

Saturday the 12th stays huge. 16ft+ swells, but the wind is cross and cross-off with strong gusts. It’s too big and messy. The energy readings are massive (13672 and 7035), but the conditions just aren’t there for a good paddle. Kite surfers might love the wind and chop.

Sunday the 13th through Monday the 16th – the swell stays in the 8ft to 13ft range, with long periods (14-17 seconds), but the wind is mostly cross to cross-onshore. It’s lumpy and choppy, not clean. The energy values are still strong, but the quality isn’t there.

Tuesday the 22nd of September – a real change. The swell drops to a more manageable 13ft from the SW with a 12-second period. The wind is a light cross from the SW at just 6 mph. The energy is 4473 (still strong), but the wind is light cross-shore with just small ripples. This is a much cleaner, more surfable option for the experienced paddler. The consistency is there, and the wind will let the wave face hold up. This is the second standout window after that Friday blast.

Wednesday the 23rd of September – morning looks tempting with a 10ft swell, 14-second period, and a gentle onshore from the NW. It’s not perfect, but the afternoon has a 12ft, 18-second period, and a gentle cross-onshore. The energy is high (7904), so there’s plenty of push, but it’s not glassy.

So, here’s the deal: the absolute highlight of the entire 16-day run is the afternoon of Friday the 11th of September. 15ft, 18-second period, cross-off wind, and massive energy. It’s an expert-only, once-in-a-while kind of swell. The other top pick is the morning of Tuesday the 22nd of September – still big at 13ft, but with light cross winds that will make it cleaner and more manageable. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or just too big and messy.

Stay safe out there, that big Friday might be one for the memory bank, not the water if you’re not ready.

Rusty.

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