Taapuna Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking.

We’re looking at Taapuna, and honestly, it’s a bit of a mixed bag for the next couple of weeks. There’s some serious size on the way, but the wind is going to be our biggest enemy for a lot of it. The water is sitting at 79°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Sunday the 23rd. The morning has a clean 8ft swell from the SSW, with a very long period of 16 seconds, and the wind is offshore enough to keep things tidy. The combined energy is already cranking at (4631). That afternoon, the magic really starts to happen. The swell jumps to 12ft from the S with a 17-second period, and the energy is a massive (6786). The wind stays clean. This is proper groundswell, and a reef like Taapuna is where you want to be for this. It’s big though – well over 8ft, so this is strictly for the experts. You’ll want to be on your A-game. Expecting a few onlookers too, as it’s a spot that can get crowded.

Monday the 24th keeps the goods coming, but the wind is howling. The morning has a 10ft S swell at 14 seconds and a massive energy reading (4624), but a 28 mph cross-offshore wind is going to make it pretty gnarly. The afternoon drops to 6ft, still with clean-ish conditions, but it’s a step down in quality.

The end of the first week and into the second week is a write-off. From the 25th through to the 29th, we’ve got strong winds, huge lumps of swell, and the conditions are just not friendly. The energy values are still high, but the wind is going to make it a messy, choppy battle. Not worth paddling out for.

The next shot of quality shows up on Sunday the 30th of August. Another solid 12ft S swell, with a 15-second period and a combined energy of (5003). The wind is a strong 25 mph from the E, but it’s cross-offshore, so the face should be clean. It’s still big, and it’s a long way out, so take it with a pinch of salt.

Then, Monday the 31st of August is a bit of a sleeper. The morning has a 6ft SSW swell, but the wind is swinging ENE at 19 mph, and the afternoon really gets interesting. The wind goes fully offshore from the NE at 22 mph, and the 6ft S swell at 13 seconds will be clean and lined up. It’s a much more manageable size after the weekend’s monsters. The energy is lower (1170), but for a clean, offshore wave, this could be the pick of the second week.

After that, we trail off into smaller, wind-affected swell through the start of September. The 3rd of September morning has a clean 6ft SSW swell, but the wind is only moderate. There’s something to surf, but it’s not a standout.

For the best of the best, I’m calling Sunday the 23rd of August as the absolute standout. If you’re advanced and you’ve got the nerve, that afternoon session is the one. The backup is Monday the 31st, for a cleaner, more manageable paddle.

Rusty.

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