Port Waikato-Sunset beach 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.

The big picture for Port Waikato-Sunset Beach is wild, and I mean that. We’ve got a massive run of strong, often huge swell coming in from the WSW, but the wind is going to be a real problem. The first few days are a write-off, and then we get a few windows, but it’s a long haul. Let’s get into it.

The first real chance to even think about a paddle comes on the morning of Wednesday the 9th. It’s not the headline act, but it’s the only time the whole place looks like a proper surf break. The swell drops to 5 ft from the SW, but the period is a solid 12 seconds, so there’s some real groundswell to work with. The real story is the wind – it’s glassy, straight out of the East at a whisper. That’s a serious positive. The wave energy is moderate at 743, and it’s the only morning in the whole run that’s going to be clean. After that, it’s back to the battle.

The rest of the 16-day window is a challenge. From Thursday the 10th all the way through to Monday the 21st of September, the swell just keeps pumping. The combined swell energy is massive, often in the thousands (5876, 16172, 18536), meaning there’s a tonne of power in the water. But the problem is size. From the 10th onwards, we’re looking at swells of 8 ft and bigger, and by the 11th it’s over 16 ft. That’s expert-only territory, and even then, the wind is almost always a cross-onshore blow, ranging from 12 mph to 28 mph. It’s going to be lumpy, choppy, and messy. There are a few calls on the 13th, 19th, and 20th where the wind and tide are favorable, but the swell is still way too big – 13 ft to 21 ft. For a beach break, that’s just a washing machine. Honestly, for most of those days, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The standout, the only true beacon in this storm, is that Wednesday morning of the 9th. It’s the only time the size is manageable (5 ft) and the wind is glassy. The rest of the window is a waiting game, or for the experienced crew, a heavy session if you’ve got the nerve, but don’t expect anything clean. With the water temperature feeling about average for the time of year, it’s a wild, powerful, and mostly unfriendly stretch.

Rusty

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