Tainohama Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for Tainohama.

This is a bit of a tough one, lads and lasses. The next couple of weeks look like a real mixed bag with a lot of waiting. The water is sitting at 78°, which is a touch cooler than we'd expect for this time of year, so don't be leaving the wetsuit at home just yet.

The first few days, from Wednesday the 15th through to the weekend, are pretty flat and uninspiring. We've got a few knee-high, 2ft to 3ft swells rolling in from the SSW, but the energy is weak (130-133). The wind is glassy on Wednesday morning, which is a tease, but the swell just isn't there to make it worthwhile. The afternoons get messy with a cross-onshore breeze. By Friday the 17th, it's dropping even further, and we're looking at a long stretch of really poor conditions. Literally from the 17th through to the 24th, the surf is mostly in the 0.7ft to 1ft range with onshore winds and just no power. It's a blank run, plain and simple.

Now, here's where it gets interesting. The forecast is showing a serious pulse of energy arriving around Saturday the 25th. We're looking at a 5ft SSW swell, but the period is a short 6 seconds, so it'll be a bit fat and messy. The real event is shaping up for the following week. On Monday the 27th, we see a 7ft easterly swell with 940 of combined energy, but it's coming straight onshore. That's more of a wind-swell mess than a clean surf day.

The standout window is Wednesday the 29th and Thursday the 30th. This is the one to keep an eye on. A proper S swell is forecast, hitting 8ft to 8ft with a very long period of 13 to 14 seconds. The combined energy is massive, hitting 2016 and then 2618, which is serious. Now, Tainohama is a reef break, which is perfect for these long-period groundswells. It will be thick and powerful. The catch is that the wind is looking onshore for most of it, and the wave comment says "marginal" and "questionable," so it could be a bit of a washing machine. For experts only, that's the window. The morning of the 29th with a light cross-off from the ENE could be the cleanest of the lot, but it's still a big, powerful swell. This is over 8ft, so it's not for the faint of heart, and the crowds at Tainohama can be an issue *sometimes*, so get there early if you're keen.

Basically, the first week is a write-off unless you're happy with a flat lake. The second week, specifically the 29th and 30th of July, is where the big dogs will be out. It's a promising but distant call, so keep your fingers crossed the wind plays ball.

Rusty.

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