Port Waikato-Sunset beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what the ocean’s got cooking for us. It’s a bit of a slow burner this stretch, but there are a couple of windows that are gonna make it all worthwhile. We’re looking at a run that starts off pretty quiet, so don't get too excited for the first few days.

The opening days are pretty gutless. We're looking at a couple of small, weak groundswells, nothing with any push. The water temp is about par for the course for this time of year, so no surprises there. You might get a few ankle-biters Thursday morning, maybe a knee-high wave if you’re lucky, but it’s going to be a real struggle. The wind is light and variable, so it might be clean, but there just won't be any size to work with. Honestly, the first few days up to Saturday are a write-off for anything decent.

Now, here’s where things get interesting. Around Sunday the 9th, the ocean wakes up. We’ve got a proper pulse of swell coming in from the WNW, with the energy jumping right up. The wave models are showing a solid 7ft of swell with a 10-second period. This is beefy, and it’s going to be too much for the beginners for sure. The wind is looking cross-offshore from the NE which will keep the face pretty clean, but this one is for the experienced crew only. This is a standout, but it comes with a warning.

The energy backs off a touch for a few days, with some messy, onshore wind and a bit of rain making things ugly. The swell sticks around in the 4ft to 6ft range, but the wind is just crap, mostly cross or cross-onshore, chopping it all up. A few of these days have some longer period energy in the mix, but it’s not going to do you any favors if the surface is a mess. You’ll be fighting the chop more than riding the waves.

Keep an eye on Thursday the 14th. The morning is looking clean again with a light E/NE cross-off breeze and a solid 6ft of WSW groundswell. The energy is pumping in, and the quality is there. This is another good window.

But the real gem of this whole run is the morning of Saturday the 15th. This is the one you want to circle. The ocean is going to be glassy, absolutely dead flat wind. We’ve got a proper 7ft of WSW groundswell, a 15-second period, and the energy readings are off the charts. This is a big, powerful, long-period swell. The conditions are going to be as good as it gets. This is a serious, expert-level day, and the crowd is going to be out for it. The combination of size and glassy conditions is a rare thing, and this is the standout of the entire forecast.

From there, it starts to get a bit wild and woolly. The wind swings around to the southwest and gets strong, blowing 15 to 18 mph. This is going to turn Sunset Beach into a mess. The swell is still solid, but the onshore wind will kill the quality. Honestly, from the 16th onwards, it starts to look more interesting for the kite surfers than us paddle surfers. It’s just going to be blown out and lumpy.

The final few days of the run see the wind ease off, but the swell drops back down to that 4ft range. The mornings on the 20th and 21st look clean enough, but the size is just average. It’s not going to be anything to write home about compared to that Saturday.

So, to sum it up: don't bother with the first week. The two big standouts are the morning of the 14th, and the absolute winner, the glassy morning of the 15th. Get on it if you’ve got the skills. The rest is mostly a story of a whole lot of swell but bad wind messing it up.

Rusty.

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