Tawharanui Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Tawharanui over the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, it’s a pretty quiet start. We’re looking at a real flat spell from Monday the 13th right through until Thursday the 17th, with nothing but poor conditions and tiny, weak waves. The combined energy is barely registering, mostly in the teens to nineties, and winds are all over the shop – cross-onshore, cross-shore, just messy. You’re not missing a thing.

The first real glimmer of something rideable shows up on Friday the 17th. It’s still small, only about 1 ft from the east with a super long period of 17 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy, but it’s gonna be straight and fat at the beach. The combined energy is a modest 97, but the wind goes offshore from the WSW in the arvo, which is a huge plus. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing weird there.

Saturday the 18th is much the same story – tiny 1.0 ft east swell, long period again (15 seconds), and clean offshore winds from the SSW. The energy is weak at 43, but it’s surfable if you’re desperate. Tawharanui is a beginner-friendly beach and reef setup, and it’s fairly consistent, but with this size, it’s only for the soft-top crew or a longboard. Crowds can be a thing here, so expect a few other punters if the sun’s out.

Now, we hit a bit of a lull again Sunday the 19th and Monday the 20th, but Monday arvo brings some life. The swell jumps to 6 ft from the east, period of 7 seconds, and the combined energy hits 260 – that’s moderate energy. The wind is gentle cross-shore, creating a slight chop, but it’s still classed as marginal. The size is pushing into intermediate territory, but the short period means it’ll be a bit lumpy and less powerful.

The whole of Tuesday the 21st is a write-off with fresh, strong cross-onshore winds and lumpy conditions. Not worth paddling out.

Things start to look up on Thursday the 23rd. The afternoon brings a clean 3 ft east-northeast swell with a 10-second period and the combined energy at 209 – moderate energy. The wind is a gentle cross-offshore from the SSE, so the waves should be clean and have a bit of shape. This is the best bet in the first week. Friday the 24th is similar, with a 3 ft swell from the same direction and a light offshore wind from the SW, giving you clean, surfable waves. The energy is 210, so it’s got some juice.

The weekend of the 25th and 26th drops off again, with small, weaker waves and onshore winds returning. Then Monday the 27th throws a curveball: a big 8 ft swell from the north, but it’s short period (7 seconds) and slammed with a strong cross-onshore wind. The combined energy is a massive 590, but it’s going to be a total mess. That’s expert-only, and even then, it’s probably more interesting for the kite crew than paddle surfers. Tuesday the 28th is even worse, with gale-force winds and a messy sea.

So, the standout window is the arvo of Thursday the 23rd and all of Friday the 24th. The swell direction from the east-northeast is a good match for the spot’s optimum, the winds are clean, and the energy is decent. That’s your best chance for a proper paddle.

Rusty.

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