Takapuna-North Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, mate. Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for the next couple of weeks around the Takapuna-North Reef zone. Honestly, it’s a bit of a flat, tricky run. The whole 16-day window is a tough slog, no two ways about it.

Starting off now, and for the first week and a half, we are in a proper lull. From Sunday the 5th right through to about Saturday the 18th of July, the buzzword is “poor surf conditions” for every single recorded check. The first notable bit of activity we see is on Monday morning the 6th, with a north-northwest wind at 12 mph and a little 5ft swell from the north, but with a combined wave energy of only 186 (moderate) and poor conditions written all over it, it’s not one to get excited about. The wind is cross-off, but the swell is short-period and messy. Tuesday the 7th is a write-off with risk of thunderstorms and strong, ugly onshore winds.

After that, from Wednesday the 8th until Sunday the 12th, we are looking at tiny, unridable surf with combined energy values dropping all the way down to single digits—2 or 5. It’s glassy or clean on a few afternoons, but with wave heights of 0.3ft, that doesn’t matter. We’ve got a solid gap of dead flat conditions from the 12th (Sunday) through Monday the 13th, with zero energy showing.

The only faint whisper of something brewing shows up way down the line. Look at Monday the 20th of July. The swell finally bumps up to 7ft from the north with a period of 9 seconds and a combined energy of 800 (strong). But with heavy rain, a strong north-northeast wind at 22 mph, and the whole setup labelled “poor surf conditions,” this is going to be a full-on, blown-out mess. For a sheltered reef break like this, that size with onshore wind is just ugly. That’s expert-only, big, and messy.

So, the honest truth? There are zero standout sessions on offer. There is no good, clean surf with a favourable wind in this whole 16-day forecast. The combination of tiny swells, bad wind directions, or stormy energy just doesn't line up for a proper wave at Takapuna-North Reef. Water temp is sitting around 58°F, which is a touch under the average for this time of year, so you’ll need the thick rubber if you’re even thinking about a paddle.

For most of this run, the set-up looks more interesting for a kite session when that wind picks up, rather than a traditional surf. But for now, leave the boards in the car and don't hold your breath. Forecasts can always shift, but as it stands, it’s a blank run.

Rusty.

Read more