Port Waikato-Sunset beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s take a look at what’s brewing for Port Waikato-Sunset Beach. Water temp is around 59°F, which is about average for mid-winter – nothin’ out of the ordinary.

First real surf shows up on Friday July 3rd. Small stuff – about 2ft of SW groundswell with a nice 13-second period. Morning breeze is a cross-off, then the arvo turns glassy. Combined swell energy is weak (156 in the morn, 108 in the arvo). Clean but real small. Grab a log or a longboard.

Saturday July 4th starts clean with 2ft SW swell and a NE cross-off, but the afternoon turns ugly – cross-shore wind picks up to 12 mph, and the swell bumps to 3ft from the W. Choppy and messy. Not worth wettin’ the suit.

Sunday July 5th – swell jumps to 8ft from the W, period drops to 10 seconds, combined energy at 1387. Cross-on wind and lumpy. Rain showers in the arvo. Marginal at best.

Monday July 6th – massive swell: 10ft from the WSW, 13-second period. Combined energy hits 3251 in the morn, 4498 in the arvo. Way too big for this break. Only for the mad or the expert.

Tuesday July 7th – similar story: 10-12ft WSW swell, very long 15-second periods. Offshore ESE wind in the morning, combined energy at 5052. Big, powerful, expert-only territory.

Now we get the first proper standout: Wednesday July 8th morning. Swell drops to 8ft from the SW, 14-second period, light SSE cross-off. Combined energy at 1962 – solid but not ridiculous. Clean, and the swell direction (SW) lines up perfect with the break’s optimum. This is the one to aim for. Afternoon holds similar quality at 8ft and 1825 energy.

Thursday July 9th – back to too big: 12-13ft SSW swell, short period (9-10 seconds), 15 mph southerly cross-off. Clean but overwhelming. For experts only.

Friday July 10th morning – another beauty: 8ft SW swell, 14-second period, light SSE wind, clean. Combined energy at 3114 – still strong but well-shaped for experienced surfers. Arvo gets a bit lumpy. Morning’s the pick.

Saturday July 11th and Sunday July 12th – both mornings clean with 5ft WSW swell, 15-second periods, light offshore or cross-off winds. Combined energy around 1000-1100. Excellent for experienced crew.

Monday July 13th – swell backs to 5ft in the morn, 5ft in the arvo. WSW swell, 14-second period. Glassy in the afternoon with light west wind. Clean and fun for a wide range. Combined energy at 956 and 744 – moderate.

Tuesday July 14th – smaller: 4ft from the SW in the morning, clean with a NE cross-off. Afternoon turns cross-on and a bit messy.

Wednesday July 15th – morning has 3ft WSW swell with a long 16-second period, but 12 mph NE cross-off keeps it clean but weak. Afternoon jumps to 6ft WNW swell with messy cross-shore wind. Marginal.

Thursday July 16th – another good day for experienced surfers. 5-5ft WSW swell, 16-17 second periods, light NE wind, clean. Combined energy around 1500-1775. Solid.

Friday July 17th – strong offshore ESE wind (15 mph) with 7ft WSW swell, 15-second period. Clean but punchy – combined energy over 2000. For experienced only.

Saturday July 18th – fades out with 5-5ft SW swell and fresh cross-shore winds up to 22 mph. Poor and lumpy. Leave the stick home.

The standout calls are Wednesday July 8th morning and Friday July 10th morning – clean, solid size for experienced surfers, and the swell direction matching the break perfectly. Those are your windows.

– Rusty

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