Piha-The Ditch Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about what’s on the table for the next stretch.

First up, we’re looking at Piha-The Ditch. The whole forecast is a bit of a tale of two halves: a massive, powerful swell rolls in early on, but it is *too big* for this spot to handle properly for most of the first week. The water’s sitting at 59°F, which is pretty average for this time of year – nothing unusual there.

We get a big pulse of energy starting Saturday the 12th. The swell is a solid 15 ft from the SW with a period of 11 seconds, giving us a massive combined swell energy of 7824. That’s a whole lot of water moving. Problem is, that’s way too much for this break, especially with a cross-off wind around 30 mph on Saturday morning. Sunday isn’t much different, with 15 ft to 13 ft and the energy hitting over 10,400. This is big-wave territory, not a beginner’s game.

Things start to settle down by the middle of the week, but the quality drops. Monday the 15th has the swell dropping to 8 ft, but the wind is cross and the conditions are only marginal. The energy drops to 2356 — a lot more manageable, but the tide and wind combo just isn’t making it work.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The standout window, the one you really want to circle on the calendar, is Friday the 18th through to the morning of Saturday the 26th. Specifically, the morning of the 26th. That’s the best on offer.

On the morning of the Saturday the 26th of September, we get 8 ft of swell from the WSW, with a 14-second period. The wind is light from the ENE, around 6 mph, and it’s a cross-off. The water is glassy, clean as a whistle. The combined swell energy is 3895 — a nice, solid, surfable number. The forecast says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers” and I’m with that. It’s not too big for the ditch, it’s got push, and the wind is perfect. That’s the session to be in the water.

Before that, the morning of Friday the 25th also looks special. 10 ft from the SW, 15-second period, and the wind is 3 mph from the east – glassy. The energy is 4467. Just pure, clean lines. That’s a close second, maybe even a tie.

The rest of the second week, from the 22nd to the 24th, is mostly too big again or suffering from cross-onshore winds. The morning of the 24th is clean with 12 ft and a gentle offshore, but it’s still a heavy swell for the ditch. It’s a worthy mention, but the 26th morning is the clear winner.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a write-off for most folks unless you’re hunting for a big, raw, powerful wave. The real magic is the last weekend of the window, especially the morning of the 26th. Get on it.

Rusty.

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