Port Waikato-Sunset beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, Rusty here, and we’re lookin’ at Port Waikato-Sunset Beach for the next couple of weeks. The water temp’s sittin’ around 57°, which is just about what you’d expect for this time of year – no surprises there.

The first half of this stretch is a bit of a mixed bag, but there’s a real standout for the experienced crew. Let’s start from Wednesday, July 29th. The morning’s got a clean 4ft swell from the WSW, period of 11 seconds, and a light cross-off breeze from the ENE. The wave energy’s moderate at 395, and it’s clean. It’s a solid enough start, nothin’ huge, but a good paddle out.

Thursday, July 30th, the swell bumps up to 6ft in the morning from the SW with a longer 14-second period, but the wind’s a light cross from the NNE. The wave energy jumps to 1205, so there’s a bit more push, but the conditions are a bit messy with some cross-chop. Afternoon stays similar, a bit bigger at 6ft but cross-on wind.

Friday, July 31st, is a write-off. Rain showers, strong onshore winds up to 19 mph, and the swell gets big and lumpy. Not worth paddlin’ out.

Saturday, August 1st, has a massive 15ft swell from the WSW with 14-second period. The wave energy is monstrous at 6759 in the morning. The wind is cross-on, but this swell is way too big for this spot – only for the absolute experts, and even then, it’s messy. The afternoon’s the same story.

Sunday, August 2nd, the swell drops to a more manageable 8ft from the SW. The morning’s got a 9 mph S wind which is cross-off, keepin’ it clean. The wave energy is 1318, so moderate. It’s a solid option for intermediate surfers, but the tide might be a factor.

Now, the real standout for the experienced crew is Wednesday, August 5th. The morning is glassy – zero wind, a clean 7ft swell from the SW with a 14-second period. The wave energy is 1664. That’s a beautiful, clean groundswell. It’s a bit on the bigger side, so it’s not for beginners, but for anyone who knows what they’re doin’, this is the pick of the first week. The long period (14 seconds) means it’ll be a bit more lined up, but at a beach break like this, it could be a bit straight, so pick your peak.

The following week starts to look a bit more promising for the general crowd. On Friday, August 7th, the afternoon’s got a moderate offshore breeze from the SE at 16 mph, with a 4ft swell from the WNW. The wave energy is 623, and it’s clean. A good little session for a smaller board.

Saturday, August 8th morning has a 7ft swell from the S with a short period of 7 seconds. The wind is a light cross-off from the SSE, keepin’ it clean. The wave energy is 890. It’s a bit short-period, but clean.

Sunday, August 9th morning is a big one for the experts again – an 8ft swell from the SSW, 8-second period, with a light offshore from the SE. The wave energy is 1426. That’s clean and powerful, but the short period will make it punchy.

The second week’s best bet is probably Wednesday, August 12th afternoon. It’s a 3ft swell from the WSW with a very long 20-second period. The wind is a light cross-off from the S, keepin’ it glassy. The wave energy is 1042, which is moderate for the size – that long period packs a punch. This is a real long-period groundswell, so it’ll be better over a reef or point, but at Sunset Beach, it’ll be clean and have some long waits between sets. For the experienced surfer, this is a gem.

Thursday, August 13th morning is also clean – a 4ft swell from the WSW with a 17-second period, light offshore from the E. The wave energy is 1246. Another good, clean, long-period day.

So, overall, the first week’s big standout is the morning of August 5th for the experts. The second week’s best is the afternoon of August 12th, with that long, clean groundswell. Keep an eye on the tides, and don’t bother with the big windy days.

Rusty out.

Read more