Tairua Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, lookin’ at the upcoming surf for Tairua Beach. Gotta be straight with ya – the next few days are a bit of a struggle. We’ve got a long, slow start with hardly any size to speak of. From Wednesday the 22nd right through to the end of the week, we’re talking tiny dribbles of swell, mostly under 2 feet, with short periods and poor conditions. The wind is a mixed bag, but the energy is just not there. It’s a real waiting game, and honestly, you’re better off leaving the board in the car for a few days.

Things start to show a pulse on Saturday the 25th. The morning brings a 6 ft swell from the NNW with a period of 8 seconds and a combined energy of 679 (moderate). Wind is cross-off from the WSW at 15 mph, so it’s clean. The catch is, the guidance says it’s a marginal call, so don’t expect perfection. The afternoon drops off fast, so that morning window is your only shot.

Sunday the 26th and Monday the 27th are pretty ordinary – surfable but nothing to write home about, with small waves around 2 ft. The wind is mostly offshore or cross-off, so it’s clean, but the size just isn’t there.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Tuesday the 28th is a solid step up. We’ve got a 3 ft ESE swell with a period of 14 seconds, and the combined energy is 284 (moderate) in the morning, jumping to 469 (moderate) in the afternoon. The wind is offshore from the SSW at 12 mph in the morning, turning cross-off from the south at 9 mph in the arvo. The conditions are clean and the forecast is for good surf. It’s a small, long-period groundswell, so it’ll be a bit more lined up at Tairua Beach, but the size is friendly for beginners.

The real standout, though, is Wednesday the 29th and Thursday the 30th. Wednesday morning sees a 4 ft E swell, 13 seconds, with a combined energy of 717 (moderate), and the wind is a light cross-off from the west at 3 mph. That afternoon, it bumps up to 5 ft from the east, 12 seconds, and energy of 752 (moderate), with a gentle cross-off. Thursday is the pick of the bunch: a 6 ft E swell, 14 seconds, and a massive combined energy of 1226 (strong) in the morning, with offshore wind from the SW at 6 mph. The afternoon goes glassy with a 5 ft E swell and 963 (strong) energy. These are very good surf conditions, clean with proper energy. The 6 ft is still manageable for a confident beginner, but it’s definitely getting into intermediate territory.

Friday the 31st and Saturday the 1st of August hold some clean, waist-to-chest high waves in the 4 ft to 5 ft range, but they’re a bit more marginal and the energy drops off.

Then we’ve got a real wildcard on Tuesday the 4th of August. The morning brings a 7 ft N swell, only 7 seconds, with a glassy wind. The combined energy is 529 (moderate). That’s a short-period, lumpy swell that’s big enough to be a handful for beginners. Wednesday the 5th is even better on paper: 7 ft from the NNE, 9 seconds, glassy in the morning, with a combined energy of 678 (moderate). That’s a very good forecast, but it’s a big, chunky wave for Tairua, so keep your wits about you.

The final note: Thursday the 6th of August has a massive 12 ft swell from the east, 10 seconds, and a combined energy of 2474 (very strong). That is way too big for this beach. The wind is light cross-shore, but the swell is predicted to be too big for the break. That’s a day for experts only, if anyone, and honestly, it might be more of a kite-surfing show than a paddle session.

So, to sum it up: the best on offer is Thursday the 30th of July. You’ve got a 6 ft E swell (14 seconds) with glassy conditions in the afternoon – that’s the cleanest, most powerful swell of the window. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there. The second standout is Wednesday the 29th of July, with a 5 ft E swell and clean, cross-off winds. Tairua Beach can get crowded sometimes, but on these days, it’ll be worth jostling for a wave.

Stay keen, and don’t get too worked up about the first week. It’s a slow burn, but the second week has some real promise.

Rusty.

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