Raneika Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again. Let's break down the waves for Raneika Beach over the next couple of weeks.

The water temp is about 55°F, which is a bit chilly for this time of year—running about 2°F colder than normal. It’s a reef break that sees a fair amount of swell from the SE, and that’s the angle we want for the best shape.

We start off slow. Saturday the 11th is a washout with a 6ft SE swell but a stiff 25 km/h cross-off wind wrecking it. The energy’s there but it’s not clean. Sunday the 12th is the first real chance. Both sessions are clean, with the afternoon turning glassy under a 5 km/h easterly. That 4ft ESE swell with a 9-second period will be fun on a longboard or a fish. Monday the 13th is smaller and only ordinary, with the wind shifting onshore later.

From Tuesday the 14th through Thursday the 16th, it’s pretty flat or chopped out. Swell drops below 3ft, periods are all over the place, and the wind is either messy or the swell is tiny. Not worth suiting up.

Now, here’s the good stuff. Friday the 17th of July morning is a clear winner. We’ve got a solid 5ft ESE groundswell with a very long 16-second period, pumping energy. The wind is light and cross-off from the NW. This is real, powerful surf. The long period will make the reef stand up beautifully. It’s a bit big for beginners, but for the rest of us, this is the day to circle. Crowds are sometimes around, so expect a few others but nothing crazy.

Saturday the 18th gets hammered by a strong 45 km/h SSW wind on the 5ft ESE swell in the AM, and the PM brings a messy 10ft S windswell on 8 seconds—that’s more for the kite surfers. Skip it.

Sunday the 19th is the big one for the experienced crew. The morning is magic: 8ft S groundswell with a 15-second period and clean offshore wind from the WNW. This is heavy-duty, expert-only territory. The energy reading is massive. It’ll be a tough paddle but the sets will be clean and powerful. The afternoon goes cross-on and ruins it.

Monday the 20th morning is still decent—5ft S swell with light cross-off wind. Very surfable. Tuesday the 21st morning also delivers with 6ft SSE groundswell and a solid offshore from the WSW. Clean and punchy.

The second week gets a bit more inconsistent. Wednesday the 22nd and Thursday the 23rd see the swell jumping to 8ft and 10ft from the E with shorter periods, and the wind is cross-on or onshore. It’s messy and too big for comfort. Friday the 24th morning is a bright spot: 8ft ENE groundswell with light offshore wind from the WSW. Another good one for the experts. Saturday the 25th morning is still okay at 6ft, but the PM gets trashed by a 35 km/h SW wind. The final days, Sunday the 26th, return to small clean fun with 5ft ENE swell under glassy conditions in the afternoon.

So, for the best sessions: lock in Friday the 17th morning for the first proper taste of quality, and Sunday the 19th morning for the big, powerful groundswell that only the experienced should tackle. The week after has a few decent mornings, but that 19th session is the highlight.

Rusty.

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