Tainohama Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, it's Rusty. Looks like we're in for a bit of a slow start here at Tainohama, but hold tight, because the second half of the outlook has some real promise. The first week or so is pretty grim, with a lot of onshore wind and messy conditions, but we'll see a proper shift in the pattern around the 7th of September.

The first few days are a write-off. From Monday the 31st of August right through to Wednesday the 3rd of September, we're dealing with small, weak swell and a persistent onshore wind. The wave energy is barely there, with values like 111 (moderate) for the combined energy, and the surf is just poor. It's one of those stretches where you're better off cleaning the wax off your board.

We get a little spike on Friday the 4th of September, with a 8ft SSW swell pushing in, but the wind is cross-shore and it's a messy, marginal setup. The combined energy jumps to 1721 (strong), but it's not clean enough to get excited about. The weekend of the 5th and 6th is a mixed bag – Saturday offers some small, clean waves with a light offshore wind, but the swell is tiny at 2ft to 3ft from the ESE. Sunday the 6th turns ugly with a strong cross-onshore wind and a big, crumbly 12ft ESE swell, definitely one for the kites, not the paddles.

Now, here's the good stuff. Monday the 7th of September is where things start to turn. We've got a 12ft ESE swell with a period of 10 seconds, and the wind goes cross-off in the afternoon. That's a solid groundswell and the combined energy is a massive 2822 (very strong). For the experienced crew, Monday afternoon is looking excellent, with clean conditions. Then Tuesday the 8th stays clean with a cross-off wind, but the swell drops to a more manageable 5ft from the SSE.

The real standout is Wednesday the 9th of September. Wednesday morning we have a 6ft SE swell, 11-second period, and a clean offshore wind from the north. The combined energy is 975 (strong), and the forecast is for "very good surf conditions". That's the session to circle on the calendar. The swell holds through to Thursday the 10th, with a bigger 8ft to 10ft SE swell, but the wind gets stronger, so Wednesday morning is the pick.

Friday the 11th is a write-off again with a howling cross-onshore near gale, and the swell is huge and messy. But we bounce back on Saturday the 12th of September, with a 6ft SE swell and clean cross-off winds – another excellent session for experienced surfers. The rest of the second week sees a mix of solid SSW groundswells, but the wind is often onshore, so it's a bit of a gamble. There's a big 16ft ESE swell on Tuesday the 15th of September, but it's cross-onshore.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is a dud. The best bet is definitely Wednesday morning, the 9th of September, at Tainohama. It's a reef break, so it handles the longer period swell well, and with that offshore wind, it's going to be clean and punchy. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so a 3/2 wetsuit should be fine. It's an advanced spot, and it can get crowded sometimes, so get in early. The stand-out session is a solid 6ft SE groundswell with clean offshore winds.

Rusty.

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