Tawharanui Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at the run ahead for Tawharanui. I’ll be straight with you, mate—this 16-day window is a grim one for paddle surfing. There’s no real swell on offer, and that’s a tough spot to be in. We start with a long gap of nothing worthwhile, from Saturday the 22nd right through the end of the month. The first time we see anything even bordering on surfable is Sunday the 30th of August, and even then it’s a tiny, messy affair.

The water temperature is sitting at 57°, which is about what you’d expect for this time of year—no real anomaly there.

The only break in the game is Tawharanui itself, a beach and reef setup that’s exposed to the NE. The optimum swell direction is from the NE, but the swell we do get is tiny, weak, and often from the wrong angle. The combined swell energy is pitiful—most days it’s under 100 (like 9, 10, or 14), with only a brief spike to 332 on the 29th, but that comes with a strong cross-shore wind and a messy 6ft windswell that’s too short in period.

Let’s run through the few near-misses. On the 29th of August, there’s a pulse of 6ft from the north, but it’s a short-period 7 seconds, and the wind is a cross-shore at 16 mph. The energy reading hits 332, but the conditions are described as “poor surf conditions.” Not one to get excited about.

Then on the 30th of August, Sunday morning, the swell drops to 1ft from the NE, with a slightly better 10-second period. The wind is offshore from the WSW at 12 mph, so it’s clean. The energy is 62, and the wave comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” That’s the closest we get to a recommendation, but it’s a 1 out of 10 score. It’s tiny, weak, and only for the keenest beginner.

The 4th of September (Friday morning) offers a glimpse of something: 3ft from the NNW, a short 6-second period, but glassy conditions with a light SE breeze at 3 mph. The energy is 61, and again it’s “surfable but very ordinary.” The wind is perfect, but the swell is just too small and weak.

Beyond that, the rest of the period is a write-off—windy, onshore, tiny, or all three. There’s a big gap from the 22nd to the 29th, then another gap after the 30th. The 3rd of September sees a 4ft NW windswell with strong onshore winds, just messy.

For a stand-out, honestly, there isn’t one. The best of a bad bunch is the 30th of August morning, with a clean offshore wind and a tiny, weak NE swell—fine for a beginner who just wants to get wet, but not for anyone looking for a proper wave. The 4th of September morning is also a contender for the same reason: glassy, but too small.

If you’re a kite surfer, the 29th of August afternoon might be more interesting, with a 4ft clean cross-off wind and a solid 131 energy reading, but for paddle surfing, it’s a no-go.

Signing off. Rusty.

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