Tawharanui Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Right, let’s have a look at what Tawharanui’s got on offer over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough stretch. The first week and a bit are pretty grim, with no real surf worth paddling out for until the very end. There’s a big gap of nearly two weeks of poor to marginal conditions before we get a couple of interesting days, but even those come with serious caveats.

The water temp is running about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Let’s start from the beginning. Friday July 3rd through to Tuesday the 7th – forget it. We’ve got small, weak easterly swells averaging 3ft to 5ft, but the wind is all wrong – cross-onshore or onshore, with moderate breezes making a mess of things. Wave energy is weak to moderate (143 up to 422), and the conditions are rated poor. Not worth your time.

Wednesday the 8th and Thursday the 9th see a slight improvement in wind direction – cross-off from the SSW – but the swell remains small, around 3ft to 4ft, and the energy is only moderate (214 and 105-113). Still, it’s clean. The problem is the wave comment says it’s marginal at best, and the scores are too low to get excited.

Friday the 10th through Monday the 13th: the wind finally turns offshore from the SW and SSW, and conditions get clean, even glassy on Monday afternoon. But the swell fades to nothing – 1.0ft to 2ft – with weak energy (19 to 90). You can paddle out if you’re desperate for a longboard or a foiler, but honestly, it’s ordinary.

Tuesday the 14th is wet and windy onshore – no chance.

Wednesday the 15th brings moderate rain and a jump in swell to 5ft, then 8ft, but it’s coming from the NE with onshore winds and a short, crumbly period of 5 to 6 seconds. Energy is moderate to strong (155 to 570), but the conditions are poor. Not recommended.

Now here’s where it gets interesting. Thursday July 16th: dawn patrol is the standout of the whole outlook. Tawharanui (beach and reef) gets a solid 8ft easterly swell with a 9-second period, and the wind is cross-off from the WNW – light breeze, clean. The combined energy is strong at 1153, and the wave comment says excellent for experienced surfers. That’s your best bet, but keep in mind the swell is over 8ft, so it’s expert territory only. The afternoon sees the wind shift west, still cross-off, but the energy drops to 868 and the period shortens a touch – marginal conditions start creeping in.

Friday July 17th: this one is a head-scratcher. The swell pumps up to 12ft to 13ft from the east, with a strong 8-9 second period, and the wind is offshore from the WSW and SW – clean, strong offshore. The energy is massive at 1523 and 2295. But the wave comment says it’s predicted to be too big for this break. That’s a big red flag unless you’re charging on a gun and know the place well. For the average punter, it’s a pass.

Saturday July 18th: still big at 10ft from the east, but the wind is strong cross-off from the SSW, and the comment says marginal. The energy is still huge at 1494, but it’s a bit messy and too big for most.

So, the one true standout is Thursday July 16th morning at Tawharanui – 8ft east swell, light cross-off wind, clean, and plenty of energy. Expert only. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too big for the break. Also, Tawharanui can get crowded often, so if you nail that window, get in early.

Signing off, Rusty.

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