Shipwrecks Bay-Peaks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surf is back on the map, and let’s be real, it’s been a bit of a slow start. But don’t you worry, we’ve got a solid window coming up, and a couple of days that are going to be well worth the paddle out.

Right off the bat, Tuesday morning (18 August) at Shipwrecks Bay-Peaks (Northland) is small and a bit messy. The swell is a touch under 10ft, coming from the SW with a solid 14-second period, but the cross-off wind is making things a bit lumpy. The energy is strong at 3240, but it’s not the cleanest. By the afternoon, the wind goes offshore and the swell eases slightly to 8ft. It’s cleaner, and you can feel the power in the water. This is for the experienced crew, as it's got some push to it.

Wednesday (19 August) is a similar story. The morning has a bit of a cross-off breeze and 8ft of SW swell, but it’s not as good as it looks on paper. The afternoon is your better bet, with a solid offshore breeze and 7ft of clean SW swell. It’s not giant, but it’s fun.

Now, Thursday (20 August) is where it starts to get really interesting. Thursday morning is the standout of this first part of the week, with glassy conditions and 8ft of SW swell rolling in with a 14-second period. The energy is still strong at 2299, and the surface is clean. This is going to be some proper, well-shaped stuff. The afternoon cleans up too, but it’s slightly smaller.

Friday (21 August) and Saturday (22 August) see the swell ease off significantly. The energy drops below 1000 and the waves get smaller and less interesting. There’s a bit of surf on Friday morning, but it’s fading. By Saturday afternoon, it’s poor and wonky. This is the calm before the storm.

Sunday (23 August) is a write-off. The wind is onshore and strong, it’s lumpy, and the swell is a short-period mess. This is not a day for surfing. I’d honestly be looking at the kite setup if you're keen to get on the water, because the surf is going to be blown out.

Now, hold on to your board. The real action starts on Monday, 24 August. A serious SW groundswell arrives, and it’s big. We’re talking 13ft waves with a 16-second period. The energy reading is a massive 9045 in the morning. The wind is cross-off and clean. This is a heavy, powerful day, and it’s for experts only. The paddle out will be a mission, but the waves will be epic. This is the standout of the whole forecast. The afternoon is still on the same level, still 13ft and clean. This is the one.

Tuesday, 25 August is still going to be solid, with 12ft of SW swell and clean conditions through the afternoon. This is another great day for the advanced surfer but maybe not quite as perfect as Monday. The energy is still very strong.

Wednesday, 26 August starts to get a bit tricky. The morning has an onshore wind, which will mess things up, and the afternoon gets cross-onshore and choppy. The swell is still there at 10ft, but the quality drops off.

From Thursday, 27 August through to the end of the month, it looks like the surf gets smaller and the wind stays mostly onshore or cross-onshore. There’s a brief window on Saturday, 30 August, where it gets glassy in the afternoon with a 8ft SW swell. It’s promising, but it’s a longer-range call and more uncertain.

The first week of September sees more onshore winds and messy conditions. There’s surf, but it’s not clean and not worth getting too excited about.

So, to sum it up: mark Monday, 24 August in your calendar. That is the day. The whole period is bookended by a slow start and a messy finish, but that Monday and Tuesday are going to be serious. Water temps are right around 59°, which is normal for this time of year, so grab a decent wetsuit.

Right, I’m out.

Rusty.

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