Port Waikato-Sunset beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, looking at what we’ve got for the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a wild ride, so let’s break it down.

First up, we gotta talk about this swell. It’s big. Real big. We’re starting Sunday July 19th with a massive 10-foot SW groundswell, with a period of 16 seconds. That’s a lot of water moving. The combined energy is a huge 7356, which means it’s strong. But the wind is messy, a cross-onshore SW breeze at 12 mph, making it choppy. The water temp is 58°, which is about average for this time of year. This is a beach break, and with that much power, it’s going to be a washing machine. Honestly, for the first few days, it’s looking more like a kite-surfing setup than a paddle-surfing one, unless you’re an absolute charger.

The pattern settles down a bit on Monday the 20th. The swell drops to a more manageable 7-foot, still from the WSW, but the wind swings around to an ENE cross-offshore at 6 mph. The wave comment says “excellent” for experienced surfers, but the energy is still high at 1809. This is the best window in the near term for Port Waikato-Sunset Beach. It’ll be clean and powerful, but it’s still a solid 7-foot plus and this is an exposed beach, so it’s not for the beginners.

Tuesday the 21st morning is the real standout of the first week. The swell drops to 5-foot from the SW with a 13-second period, giving it some real grunt. The wind goes glassy – a 3 mph offshore ESE breeze. The wave comment says “expect very good surf conditions,” and the energy is a moderate 880. This is the cleanest, most lined-up the break will be for a while. The crowds are listed as “sometimes,” so you might have a few mates out, but it’ll be worth it.

After that, it gets messy again. A big westerly storm kicks up on the 25th and 26th of July, with 18-foot of swell and howling 25 mph onshore winds. The energy is off the charts at 7929, but it’s just a blown-out, giant mess. That trend continues right through the end of the month and into the first week of August. The swell stays huge, consistently over 10-foot, and the wind is just never clean. There are a few blips on the 30th and 31st of July, but the wind is too strong or the swell is too big for it to be good.

So, the best bet, the real standout, is Tuesday the 21st of July morning. The swell is a clean 5-foot from the SW, with that glassy offshore wind. It’s the only time in the whole 16-day window where everything aligns for a long, quality session. If you can get out then, you’ll be stoked. The rest of the run is a long gap of poor conditions, with a solid week of dangerously big, onshore slop. Keep an eye on it, but the forecasts for the second week are less reliable, so don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

Read more