Piha-The Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Let's have a yarn about what's coming up at Piha-The-Bar.

The next week and a bit is a proper mixed bag, with some serious size on the way, but you'll need to pick your moments carefully. The water temp is sitting around 58°, which is pretty standard for this time of year, nothing out of the ordinary.

We kick off Monday the 14th with a solid 10ft SW groundswell, period a very solid 16 seconds, pumping in with a massive combined energy of 5089. It's a heap of water, and with a cross-shore SW wind around 9 mph, it'll be a bit lumpy. Monday afternoon cleans up a touch with a cross-offshore breeze, but it's still big and powerful for 10ft. This is advanced territory right from the start – stay out of the water if you're not confident.

Tuesday the 15th sees the swell ease to 8ft, still a long-period SW groundswell at 14 seconds. The morning has a cross-shore breeze, so expect some chop, but the afternoon cleans up nicely with a cross-offshore wind. The energy is still moderate at 2356. A good option for the experienced crew who want a slightly less intimidating wave.

Wednesday the 16th is a write-off. The swell drops, the wind goes cross-onshore, and it's choppy and messy. Not worth paddling out.

Thursday the 17th sees the swell bump back up to around 7ft to 7ft, but the wind is onshore from the north. It's going to be a choppy, bumpy mess. Another day to give a miss.

Now, this is where it gets interesting. Friday the 18th is a monster day, but not for paddling. The forecast is for a 20ft SW swell with a combined energy of 9093. The wind is a strong cross-offshore SW breeze at 28 mph. That's a big, powerful, dangerous slab. This is purely for the elite, and even then, conditions are critical. This setup looks far more suited to a kite surfer than a paddle surfer.

Saturday the 19th is still huge, around 13ft, but the wind turns messy and cross-shore, making it lumpy and difficult. Sunday the 20th is similar – 13ft to 15ft with strong, messy cross-shore winds. Not for the faint-hearted, and not clean.

Monday the 21st offers 13ft of SW swell with a moderate cross-shore breeze. Still massive, but a touch more organised than the weekend. The afternoon turns choppy again.

Then we get a bit of a change. Tuesday the 22nd sees the swell drop to 10ft, and the morning has a clean cross-offshore breeze from the SSW at 19 mph. This looks like the best window for a proper, clean, powerful session on the bigger swells, but it's still a big wave for advanced surfers only.

Wednesday the 23rd is another standout, but again for the experts. A 15ft to 16ft SW swell with a perfect offshore wind from the SE in the morning and a cross-offshore in the afternoon. The energy is intense – over 10,000 in the afternoon. It's a world-class big-wave day at this break, but if you're not on your game, stay on the beach.

The last few days settle down. Thursday the 24th to Sunday the 27th sees the swell drop back to 7ft to 10ft, but the winds are generally cross-shore or cross-onshore, so it's not going to be glassy or perfect. Monday the 28th and Tuesday the 29th offer a longer-period swell again (20 to 22 seconds), but with onshore or cross-shore winds, it'll be lumpy and a bit of a battle.

Rusty.

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