Piha-The Ditch Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve got a good long look at the surf ahead for Piha-The Ditch. This is a beginner-friendly spot that’s fairly consistent, but we’ve got a real mixed bag coming our way, so let’s break it down.

Right now, the water temp is sitting at 58°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing out of the ordinary there.

The forecast kicks off on Wednesday, July 29, with a clean 5 ft WSW swell, period of 11 seconds, and a light ENE breeze blowing cross-off. Combined wave energy is 481 – that’s moderate, and the waves should be clean and rideable. It’s a good start, but not the standout. Thursday morning, July 30, sees the swell jump to 7 ft from the WSW, period 14 seconds, and the energy ramps up to 1446. The wind is a light northerly though, cross-on, so the surface will be a bit rippled. Not ideal, but still surfable for the keen.

Now, Friday July 31 is a write-off. Rain showers, strong west winds hitting 16-22 mph, and a messy 8-10 ft swell with short 9-10 second periods. The energy is massive (2324), but it’s all chop and wind. Not worth paddling out.

Saturday August 1 gets even bigger, with 15-16 ft swell from the WSW, period 14 seconds, and energy readings over 8000. That’s strong to very strong wave energy, but the wind is cross-on to cross, and the swell is too big for this break. Only for absolute experts, if anyone. The same goes for Sunday August 2 – the swell drops to 8 ft from the SW, cleaner with a cross-off southerly breeze, but the energy is still 1737. It’s marginal, and the tide might be a factor.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Monday August 3 morning: the swell drops to 4 ft from the WSW, but the period goes all the way to 20 seconds – that’s a very long period groundswell. The wind is light cross-off from the SSW, and the energy is 2103. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers, but at a beginner spot, the long period means the waves will be powerful and a bit more challenging. Still, the conditions are clean.

Tuesday August 4 is back to big, dangerous 12 ft swell with 16-second period, energy 5401, and a moderate cross-shore – too big and messy. Wednesday August 5 sees a drop to 8 ft, but the wind is cross-on, so it’s lumpy. Thursday August 6 is a loss with thunderstorms and onshore wind.

Friday August 7 brings a change: fresh offshore winds from the ESE, 5-5 ft swell, but the period is short at 9-10 seconds. Energy is moderate (590-1034), and the wind is offshore, so the surface will be clean. It’s worth a look for a morning session.

Saturday August 8 is the standout. Morning: 3 ft swell from the WSW, period 21 seconds (very long period), energy 1825, and a moderate offshore wind from the SE. The waves will be clean, powerful, and glassy. Afternoon: 4 ft, 20-second period, 1964 energy, gentle cross-off breeze. This is the best of the window – excellent surf, clean, and the long period will give proper shape. The break is exposed to SW swell and the optimum direction matches, so it’s a good call.

Sunday August 9, the swell jumps back to 10 ft with short 8-second period, and the energy is 2262 – too big and messy again. Monday August 10 is a nice drop to 4 ft, 15-second period, offshore wind, energy 970. Surfable and clean, but not as epic as Saturday.

The rest of the week into August 12-13 sees consistent small to medium swell (2-5 ft) with long periods (13-22 seconds) and light offshore or cross-off winds. The energy is moderate (319-1720), and the conditions are clean. These are excellent days for experienced surfers with the long period generating good shape, but the size is small, so it’s more about the quality than the height.

Overall, the best on offer is Saturday August 8, with the morning session being the pick. Clean, glassy conditions, a very long period groundswell giving proper waves, and the energy is solid. The only downside is that the long period might make the waves break a bit straight at this beach setup, but with the offshore wind, it’ll be a good session.

There’s a gap from Friday July 31 to Sunday August 2 where the surf is either too big or too windy, but after that, it’s a solid run of clean conditions into the second week. The long-range standouts on August 12 and 13 are promising, but less certain – still, they look good.

Rusty.

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