Tairua Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, Rusty here again. Let’s get you the same read on Tairua Beach, but in feet, miles per hour, and Fahrenheit.

The next couple of weeks are a story of long waits for a little bit of pay-off. Right now, it’s mostly quiet, with a messy, onshore pulse around Monday the 7th being nothing to get excited about. The one to set your alarm for is Thursday the 17th of September.

For the first week, Tairua Beach is mostly flat or offering tiny, unsurfable slop. The best you’ll see early on is Sunday afternoon the 6th, with a weak 2ft cross-swell that has a stupidly short 4-second period. Not worth the paddle. The water temp is 58°F, which is bang on average for this time of year.

Monday the 7th brings a jump in size, with waves 5ft to 6ft from the north with a fresh cross-wind. The combined energy jumps from moderate to strong (214 to 675), but it’s a messy 8-second windswell with lumpy, cross-shore chop. Tuesday the 8th morning is clean and glassy with a 3ft north swell, but the wave quality is still weak. It’s what we call "surfable but ordinary."

Then we hit a dry spell. For days, you’ve got tiny 0.6ft to 1ft swells and clean offshore winds on the 11th and 12th, but there’s no real wave energy to ride. Combined energy values are in the 30s and 40s. It’s a proper lull, a classic break for the area where the ocean just goes to sleep. Tuesday afternoon the 15th shows a small 3ft north-northwest swell (6-second period) with a clean offshore breeze, but it’s still mundane.

Now for the big boy. Thursday the 17th of September is your day. The morning kicks off with a solid 8ft north swell at 9 seconds, packing a combined energy of 1572 – that’s a serious wall of water. This is big for the spot, so only experienced surfers should be out. The wind is a clean cross-offshore, keeping the face tidy. But it’s the afternoon that’s the real winner. The swell pulls back slightly to 8ft but the wind goes lighter, becoming a perfect glassy cross-offshore. The energy is still massive at 1308, and the waves will be clean, powerful, and lined up. Just watch out for the rip, as a swell this size will be moving a lot of water. The north swell is close to the optimum north-east direction.

After that, it’s back to poor conditions. Friday the 18th brings a 4ft onshore windswell (8 seconds) that’s messy, and the final days of the outlook are small, choppy, and onshore. A proper flat spell looks to set in for the last few days.

So, the short story is: forget the next week. The session to lock in is Thursday the 17th, especially the afternoon. That’s got the size, the power, and the cleanest wind. Everything else is a miss.

- Rusty

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