Piha-The Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty, and I've got the lowdown on the next couple of weeks at Piha-The-Bar.

Right off the bat, the water temperature here is sitting at 57°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so nothing unusual to report there.

The long-range outlook is a bit of a mixed bag, but there are a couple of real standouts. The best session on offer is shaping up for Monday afternoon, August 24th. We've got a solid 12 ft swell rolling in from the WSW, with a long 16-second period that's packing some serious energy (5815). The wind is a gentle 9 mph SW cross-shore, which will keep things clean with just a slight cross-chop. This is expert-level stuff, but for those with the nerve, it's going to be epic.

Another proper standout is Thursday morning, August 20th. It's a clear morning with a light 3 mph SSE offshore breeze, making for glassy conditions. The swell is 8 ft from the SW with a 14-second period, and the combined energy is a hefty 2155. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers.

Now, let's walk through the rest. The early part of the outlook is decent. After Thursday morning, the afternoon gets a bit bumpier with a 9 mph cross-off wind, but it's still clean. Friday, August 21st, turns onshore and choppy, so it's a write-off. Saturday and Sunday are poor, with onshore winds and messy conditions. Sunday, August 23rd, sees a big jump in size, with a 12 ft swell on Sunday afternoon, but it's onshore and lumpy, so it's a right-off for paddle surfing.

A big gap opens up after Monday, August 24th. Tuesday, August 25th, has a massive 10 ft swell, but it's onshore and messy. Wednesday, August 26th, is poor with onshore winds. Thursday, August 27th, is choppy and lumpy. Friday, August 28th, is a bit of a recovery with a smaller 6 ft swell and some cross-off wind, but it's still a bit lumpy. Saturday, August 29th, cleans up nicely with a 8 ft swell and cross-off winds, making for decent conditions.

For the second week, the outlook is more promising. Sunday, August 30th is a gem: a 5 ft swell from the WSW with a very long 18-second period, light 6 mph ESE cross-off winds, and clean conditions. The combined energy (1990) is strong enough to be interesting. Then Monday, August 31st morning offers another solid 8 ft swell from the SW with a 15-second period, light cross-off winds, and clean surf. Tuesday, September 1st, stays clean and consistent with 7 ft swell. Wednesday, September 2nd, is still clean with 5 ft swell. The energy drops off towards the end of the week, with Thursday, September 3rd, having a smaller 4 ft swell and Friday, September 4th, seeing a shift in direction to NW with a shorter period, leaving things a bit weaker.

So, the overall story is: there's good surf around, but you have to pick your windows. The standout is the Monday afternoon, August 24th session for the big, long-period swell, and the Saturday, August 29th and Sunday, August 30th sessions for cleaner, more manageable conditions.

Rusty.

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