Piha-The Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's coming our way at Piha-The Bar. We've got a massive window ahead, but it's a bit of a slow cooker, so don't expect much in the first few days.

We start off the 25th of August (Tuesday) with a solid 10ft west-southwest groundswell packing a heap of energy (4407), but it's cross-on with 9-12 mph wind, so it's gonna be messy and choppy. The water's sitting at 57°F, which is about average for the time of year. Not the best way to kick things off. Wednesday and Thursday morning stay similar—lots of swell but the wind's all wrong, keeping things bumpy.

Now, hold onto your boards. Thursday afternoon the 27th is where it gets interesting. The swell drops a touch to 7ft from the WSW, but the wind goes glassy—3 mph from the east-northeast. That's clean, that's smooth, and that's the kind of afternoon that makes you forget the rest of the week. The wave energy is still moderate (1400) but with that period at 13 seconds, it's got some grunt. This is your first standout.

Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th are a mixed bag. Friday gets messy again, but Saturday afternoon shows some promise. An 8ft WSW swell (2035 combined energy) with a light 3 mph offshore from the southeast. That's clean, that's lining up. For an advanced crew, that's a good session.

Sunday the 30th is a write-off. Big wind, cross-on, sloppy. Monday the 31st though? Whoa. We see a massive 18ft SW swell roll in (9292 energy in the morning, 13593 in the afternoon). That's a beast. The wind's off or cross-off, so it's clean, but let's be real—18ft at Piha-The Bar is for the elite only. Experts only. The paddle out will be a mission, and the sets will be huge and long between them with that 16-second period. Too big for most.

The first week of September keeps the swell pumping. Tuesday the 1st has 13ft+ swell with cross-shore winds, so there's size but chop. Wednesday the 2nd is blown out. Then Thursday the 3rd of September is another standout. An 8ft to 10ft WSW swell (3288 to 7447 energy) with offshore to cross-off winds. Clean, powerful, and calling for the experienced crew. That afternoon session with 10ft and 15 seconds of period is exceptional for those who can handle it.

After that, it settles. The second week is more modest: 7ft to 8ft swells with cleaner winds (cross-off from the east) but lower energy. Monday the 7th of September afternoon looks good—8ft WSW at 17 seconds (5432 energy) with light cross-off wind. That's a solid, clean day for a paddle. Tuesday the 8th then throws another massive 15ft swell (10504 energy) but again, it's too big for this break, so that's a no-go for most.

The best bets overall: Thursday afternoon the 27th for glassy conditions and clean 7ft waves. And Thursday the 3rd of September for that bigger, clean, offshore groundswell. Everything else is either too windy, too big, or just average. Keep your eyes on those windows.

Stay salty.

Rusty.

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