Tairua Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s have a look at what Tairua Bar has on the table for the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, the forecast for Tairua Bar is pretty underwhelming for a long stretch. The first week is mostly flat and gutless, with small, weak waves and just ordinary conditions. It’s not until the very end of the month that we finally see a pulse of real energy and glassy conditions.

18 August – 25 August: This first block is a tough one. Swell heights are mostly between 0.3ft and 2ft, with weak energy readings mostly in the double digits (e.g., 51). Winds are mostly cross-off or light, but the waves are just too small and weak to get excited about. There is a brief moment on the morning of 23 August (Sunday) where a 5ft swell from the NW shows up, with offshore wind and moderate energy (262), but the period is a short 6 seconds, so it’ll be a bit bumpy and disorganised. It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about. After that, we drop right back to tiny 0.3ft waves for days. A real quiet period.

27 August (Thursday): The morning session here offers a 3ft swell from the north, glassy wind, and clean conditions. The energy is still low (58), and the period is a short 5 seconds, so it’s not powerful, but it's the first genuinely clean and rideable pulse in a while.

30 August (Sunday): Now we’re talking. This is the standout. On the morning of 30 August, we’re looking at a 6ft swell from the north, with glassy conditions and no wind. The combined energy hits 375 – that’s a solid pulse of moderate-to-strong wave energy, and the period is 8 seconds, offering better shape than the short-period stuff. This is the most promising window in the whole outlook. The water temp is around 60°F, which is about average for this time of year. However, this spot is an advanced-only break and it’s fairly consistent, so expect it to get busy – crowds are possible. The swell direction is north, which is not the optimum NE direction for this break, but with glassy conditions and that energy, it’ll still produce. The afternoon takes a hard turn though, with a SE wind at 22 mph and lumpy conditions, so get in early.

After that, the swell drops quickly again, with much smaller waves and cleaner but unremarkable conditions heading into the start of September. A few mornings show small 1ft to 2ft waves with clean conditions, but nothing with enough grunt to get the heart racing.

Overall, the pick is Sunday 30 August for a morning session, but be ready for a short-lived window. The rest of the period is mostly flat or marginal.

- Rusty

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