Port Waikato-Sunset beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Grab your board, because we’ve got a proper window of waves coming up, but it’s not for the faint of heart. The first couple of days are nothing to write home about—Thursday’s small and messy, not worth paddling out for. But hold on, because Friday brings the first real pulse of the run, and it’s a big one.

Friday the 11th is where things turn on. We’ve got a solid 13ft SW swell rolling in with a long 18-second period. That’s serious groundswell energy—the combined energy reading is 15565, which is strong to very strong. The morning has light S winds, cross-off, and that’s clean. Yeah, the swell is big, but the direction is right on the money for this spot. This is the standout of the whole outlook. It’s going to be heavy, powerful, and for experienced surfers only. Beginners, stay on the sand for this one. The afternoon holds size, but the wind swings SW at 15 mph and it gets criss-crossed, so the morning is the time to be in the water.

Now, here’s the thing—this break is fairly consistent, but it’s also exposed and this much swell is too much for it. From Saturday the 12th through to the middle of the following week, we’re in that zone. It’s not going to be clean; you’ve got fresh cross-shore winds, lumpy chop, and waves in the 10-16ft range. That’s a washing machine out there. Not a good look for a paddle board. Unless you’re a masochist or a kite surfer, give it a miss.

The long-period swells keep coming, but the wind just keeps messing it up. We get a small window on the morning of Monday the 14th with light winds and a 10ft SW swell at 16 seconds, but the tide’s questionable. It’s still big and the cross-shore isn't ideal. You’d be fighting it.

The run of oversized, wind-blown surf continues right through to the 19th. There’s a glimmer on the morning of the 20th—the 20th of September, that’s a week and a half away—with ESE offshore winds and a 13ft WSW swell. That would be a gem if it holds, but it’s a long-range call, so don’t book the day off work just yet. The afternoon has more size, but the wind goes onshore again.

The rest of the second week is more of the same: too big, or onshore, or both. The conditions just don’t cooperate. The only other real standout is the morning of the 25th, which is over a week away. Light S cross-off winds, 10ft WNW swell at 12 seconds—that could be promising and a bit more manageable than the other giants. And then the 25th afternoon, look, the wind is glassy, a light W at 3 mph and a 13ft W swell. That’s a classic clean-up set, but it’s a long way out. It’s got potential, but don't get too attached to it.

Water temp is sitting at 58°, which is about normal for this time of year, so you’ll still want a good wetsuit.

So, bottom line: Friday the 11th is your best bet—early, before the wind gets messy. After that, it’s a long stretch of frustration until the very end of the run where we might get another shot. It’s a big swell period, so look after yourself in the water.

Rusty.

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