Port Waikato-Sunset beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s get into it. We’re looking at Port Waikato-Sunset Beach, and it’s a mixed bag of a 16-day window – some raw power, some clean windows, but plenty of wind and size to work around. The water’s sitting at a slightly cool 57°F, which is a touch under the average for this time of year, but nothing too wild.

The first real action kicks off on the 31st of July, but it’s a write-off with a strong 25 km/h westerly wind making things choppy and messy. Friday’s a day to sit out.

Saturday the 1st of August is where it gets interesting, but mostly for the wrong reasons. The morning brings a clean, cross-off breeze from the east at 10 km/h, but that swell is a beast – 12 ft from the WSW with a 13-second period. The combined energy is huge (4307), and it’s simply too big for this beach. Only for the true experts, and even then, it’s a handful. The afternoon stays clean with offshore ESE winds, but still 10 ft and too big for most.

Sunday the 2nd of August is the standout in the first week. The morning is glassy with a light SE breeze, no wind at all, and the swell drops to a much more manageable 6 ft from the SW with an 11-second period. The energy is still moderate (904), but the conditions are clean and glassy. The afternoon is just as good – glassy again, 5 ft from the SW, 10-second period. This is the best you’ll see in the first week. Clean, lined up, and not too crowded. That’s the one to circle.

Monday the 3rd degrades quickly with a strong cross-onshore WSW wind picking up, and the swell gets messy. The rest of the week into early August is a battle with onshore winds and lumpy, choppy surf. There’s a small window on the morning of Wednesday the 5th with a clean 7 ft SW swell and a light ENE breeze, but it’s still a bit of a handful for the average punter.

The 7th of August brings a change in direction – a WNW swell at 7 ft, but with a short 8-second period. The wind is clean and cross-off, so it’ll be a fast, dumpy peak. Good for experienced surfers, but the short period means it’ll be a bit sectiony.

The second week sees a return to bigger, more powerful swells, but with a lot of wind. The 13th of August has another massive pulse – 12 ft from the W with a 10-11 second period, and clean offshore winds. Again, too big for Sunset Beach, only for the mad dogs. The 14th of August morning is a nice surprise – a clean 4 ft groundswell from the WSW with a 15-second period, and a light offshore ESE breeze. The energy is strong (1502), but the long period means it’ll be a bit walled up at the beach. Best for the rivermouth or a point if you can find one.

The 15th of August is another massive day – 10 ft to 12 ft from the WNW, clean, but again, too big for this beach. Only for the experts.

There’s a solid gap of poor conditions from the 10th to the 12th of August with strong northerly winds and rain, so don’t bother.

Best bet: Sunday the 2nd of August. Glassy, clean, good size. That’s the one.

Rusty.

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