Tairua Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m gonna level with you: the next couple of weeks are pretty flat for our stretch of coast. We’ve got a long, slow grind ahead before we see anything worth paddling out for, so don’t be in a hurry.

We kick things off on Tuesday morning, September 8th, at Tairua Beach. It’s not much—about 3ft of short-period NE windswell, with weak energy (123). The water’s sitting at 59°, which is right about where it should be for this time of year, nothing weird going on there. The wind is light offshore from the SW and it looks clean, but honestly, it’s pretty ordinary. The swell’s there, but it’s gutless. Tuesday afternoon drops off to a tiny 2ft, and while it’s glassy, it’s not going to get the heart racing.

From Wednesday morning, September 9th, through to the following Monday, the 14th, we’re in a proper slump. Swell heights drop to 0.7ft to 1ft, and the period is all over the shop—15 seconds but from a useless ENE direction, then dropping to 13 seconds. The energy numbers are weak, below 100, and the wave comments just say “poor surf conditions.” The wind is cross-off or offshore at times, but with that little swell, it’s just a clean, flat ocean. A couple of those mornings, like Saturday the 12th, have a fresh SW offshore at 19 mph, but there’s nothing to push. You’re better off staying in bed.

We stay in the doldrums through the middle of the week. From the 15th to the 18th, we’re looking at 0.3ft to 1ft of swell, with the energy dropping to single digits and low teens. It’s dead. The wind stays mostly cross-off or offshore, but it doesn’t matter—there’s no wave to ride. Even a bump of 3ft on Wednesday afternoon, the 16th, is from NNW with a 5-second period, which is just messy wind chop, and the guidance still calls it poor. That’s a sign, mate.

The weekend of the 19th and 20th is about as flat as it gets—0.3ft of swell, energy down to 4-8. It’s a total wasteland. We finally see a little pulse on Tuesday morning, the 22nd, with 2ft of SE swell and a 4-second period, but it’s glassy and still labeled poor. Not worth the drive. Wednesday the 23rd picks up slightly to 3ft with ENE swell at 5 seconds, and the wind is offshore, but it’s still short-period junk.

So here’s the deal: over the next 16 days, there’s no standout session. Not even close. The only reason to get wet is if you’re desperate for a splash on Tuesday morning the 8th, but that’s a 1 out of 10 call. The conditions are clean at times, but the ocean’s just got nothing to give. With that much light wind and no swell, Tairua Beach is going to be a better spot for a kite if the breeze picks up, but for a surf, you’re waiting. The lack of consistency here is pretty normal for this stretch when the ENE swell isn’t showing. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d find something else to do for a fortnight.

Rusty out.

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