Tairua Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the charts for the next 16 days around Tairua Bar. Let me be straight with you – it’s a slow start, and we’ve got a long wait on our hands.

The first week is pretty much a write-off. From now through to the 7th of September, you’re looking at tiny, weak swell with poor conditions. The water temp is sitting at 59°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there. The combined energy barely breaks double digits, rock bottom stuff. Don’t even bother paddling out.

We finally see a flicker of life on the morning of Monday the 8th of September. The wind goes glassy offshore from the west, and we get a 4 ft swell from the north at 8 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 187 – that’s moderate energy, but it’s still just surfable, not great. The real standout hits on Tuesday afternoon the 8th. The wind stays light offshore from the west, and the swell builds to 5 ft from the north-northwest, still at 8 seconds. The energy hits 448, and the comment says “expect good surf conditions.” That’s your best bet in the first week – clean, lined up, and with those offshore winds, it’ll be a treat. Crowds are sometimes a thing here, so you might have a few mates out, but it’s worth it.

After that, it drops back into a funk. From Wednesday the 9th through to the 16th of September, we’re back to small, weak waves and mostly poor conditions. Periods get long, hitting 13-14 seconds, but the swell height is tiny – 0.7 ft to 1 ft – so it’s just not enough push. The energy is weak, mostly under 100.

Now, hold onto your board, because the 18th of September is a proper event. Friday morning the 18th, we’ve got a 8 ft swell from the north at 8 seconds with offshore winds from the west-northwest. The combined energy is a massive 930 – that’s strong wave energy. The comment says “expect very good surf conditions.” This is for experts only, as it’s well over 8 ft. It’ll be powerful, jumbled, and a bit of a handful. The wind gets a bit cross-off in the afternoon, and the swell pushes to 10 ft, so stick to the morning session if you’ve got the skills. The 19th of September still has size but the conditions are more marginal.

So, the call is simple: Tuesday afternoon the 8th of September is the cleanest, most fun window for the first week, and Friday morning the 18th of September is the big, powerful standout for the experts towards the end of the run. The rest of the time, you’re on the beach, watching the horizon.

Rusty.

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