Tairua Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty.

Alright, let’s have a look at what’s coming up at Tairua Bar. Honestly, the next week and a half is a bit of a write-off—nothing much to get excited about. The surf is tiny, messy, or just not cooperating. The first real glimmer of hope doesn’t show until Saturday the 1st of August, and even then it’s a tricky one. The water is sitting at 60°F which is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

The early part of the outlook is grim. From Thursday the 23rd through to Friday the 31st of July, we’re looking at poor conditions day after day. Swell heights are mostly below 3ft, with periods all over the shop—short and weak. The combined energy readings are low, barely cracking 100 to 300 (recorded at 7 to 311), which tells you the ocean is basically flat and lazy. Winds are all over the place too, mostly cross or cross-on, not giving us any clean lines. There’s a brief moment on Saturday morning the 25th of July when a 4ft swell from the NNW with a fresh offshore wind from the WSW gives a bit of hope—the combined energy jumps to 545 (moderate), but it’s only a quick window and the surf quality is still only marginal. Not worth paddling out for.

Now, Saturday the 1st of August is where things get interesting but you need to be careful. The morning shows a 10ft swell from the NNE with a period of 8 seconds—that’s a short period, so it’s going to be a bit lumpy and maybe a bit too much for most. The combined energy is 1052 (strong). By the afternoon, the swell jumps to 16ft from the same direction, same short period, and the energy rockets to 8652 (very strong). That’s big, raw, and powerful. Tairua Bar is a beach/bar setup, so with that much energy and a short period, it’s going to be a washing machine. This is strictly for experts only—if you’re not confident in heavy, fast-moving water, stay on the beach. The wind is light cross-on, which doesn’t help the shape. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The following days from Sunday the 2nd to Tuesday the 4th of August are still messy—swells dropping but still 5ft to 7ft, but with onshore or cross-onshore winds and choppy conditions. Not worth it.

Finally, Wednesday the 5th of August gives us a cleaner window. Morning sees a 5ft swell from the east with a 9-second period, cross-offshore wind from the WNW, and clean conditions. The combined energy is 427 (moderate). By the afternoon, the swell drops to 4ft from the ENE, still with a light cross-offshore wind and clean face. This is the best of the run—not huge, but clean and rideable. The swell direction is a bit east, which isn’t the optimum NE for Tairua Bar, but with the wind in your favour, you’ll find some fun ones. It’s fairly consistent, but crowds can be around sometimes.

After that, Thursday the 6th and Friday the 7th of August are small again—around 3ft to 3ft, with glassy periods but mostly ordinary surf. Nothing to write home about.

So, the standout is Wednesday the 5th of August—clean, manageable swell, and a decent chance of a session. The other big day is Saturday the 1st of August, but that’s only for the brave and the experienced. Keep an eye on the forecasts, things can change.

Rusty.

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