Pohoiki Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on offer for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, the outlook for Pohoiki is a bit of a dry spell for a while. The water temp is sitting right around 81°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so that's fine. But the surf itself? It's rough. We’ve got a weak start with the combined swell energy only hitting 172 (moderate wave energy) on Thursday morning, but it's just not clean. Thursday and Friday are a write-off with poor conditions and cross-onshore winds messing things up. Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd see a jump in swell size, with energy readings climbing into the 500s and then over 1000 (strong to very strong wave energy), but it's still cross-onshore and choppy. The swell hits 8 ft on Sunday morning, which is getting into the "too big for beginners" territory, but the wind is just ruining it. That poor run continues right through the end of the month.

We finally get a glimmer of hope on the 27th of August. The swell direction swings around to the south, with a long-period groundswell of 16 seconds, and the energy is strong (789). The winds are cross-shore, which is better than onshore, but it's still only rated as marginal. The pattern continues like that for a few days; the swell is there but the wind never quite unlocks it.

The real standout in this whole forecast is Wednesday, the 2nd of September. The afternoon session is where it's at. We’ve got a 6 ft swell from the ENE, and the wind goes glassy—dead calm, from the WSW at just 3 mph. The combined energy is a solid 871 (strong wave energy), and for the first time in ages, the conditions are called "very good." That's the one to circle on your calendar. The following day, Thursday the 3rd, also has some promise with a 7 ft ENE swell and clean cross-offshore winds in the afternoon, and the energy is over 1000, so that's another one to keep an eye on.

So, to sum it up: the first two weeks are mostly a bust unless you're a glutton for punishment. The big window is the 2nd and 3rd of September. The 2nd afternoon with glassy conditions is the best bet for a clean, fun wave, though at 6 ft it's still a decent size. The 3rd afternoon is a touch bigger at 7 ft and clean, but that's getting into more powerful territory, so make sure you're on your game. Pohoiki is a reef break, so those longer-period groundswells should set up nicely.

Keep the faith, the surf will turn around.

Rusty.

Read more