Pohoiki Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your board and let’s see what’s cooking for Pohoiki. It’s gonna be a long wait, but there’s a pulse in the deep forecast.

Honestly, for the next week and a half, it’s pretty grim. We’ve got a gap that stretches from now until around the start of the second week. Lots of crummy, onshore winds and messy waves. The water temp is sitting at a warm 81°F with a 1°F anomaly, so pretty average for this time of year—nothing wild there.

Things start to get interesting around Friday, August 14th. The swell picks up to a solid 8 ft out of the East, with a period of 12 seconds. The wind goes cross-off, which means cleaner conditions. The wave energy is pumping hard with values hitting 2146 to 2675. This isn’t for beginners though—over 8 ft is expert territory. Pohoiki is a reef break so it can handle that size, and it’s fairly consistent, but crowds are *sometimes* a thing here.

Now, the real standout—and I mean a proper standout—is Saturday, August 15th. This is the one you circle on your calendar. We’re looking at a massive 18 ft to 20 ft swell, direction East-Northeast, period still a meaty 12 seconds. The wave energy is off the charts, shooting up to 15938 to 18625. That is serious, serious power. The morning has offshore wind from the WNW at 16 mph, making for glassy, clean conditions. But listen—this is way too big for anyone except the most experienced chargers. At that size, even a reef like Pohoiki is only for the brave. The afternoon swings around to a cross-on wind, so the early session is the window.

After that beauty, it drops back into the usual onshore slop for the rest of the 16-day run. Winds stay cross-on and choppy, and the waves are small or junky. Not worth paddling out.

So, in a nutshell: sit tight through the first half of August. The real action hits on Friday the 14th and peaks Saturday the 15th. That Saturday morning is the best on offer—just know your limits.

Rusty.

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