Tawharanui Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, look, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it. The next week and a half is looking pretty darn bleak for Tawharanui. We’ve got a run of small, weak surf that’s just not gonna get the heart rate up. It’s mostly flat dribble, and the wind, while often offshore or cross-off, is just working with nothing. We’re talking chest-high at the very best, and more often than not, it’s knee-slappers. The swell energy is weak too, with values mostly in the single digits and teens, like 8, 9, 15, and 26. Water temp is sitting at 58°F, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

From the 18th through to the 26th of August, there is just nothing on the cards. The swell direction is all over the place, but the size is the real killer – we're looking at 0.3ft to 1ft. There's a better period on the 23rd with a pulse of NW windswell pushing 3ft, but the period is a short 6 seconds and it's a cross-off breeze. It’s still poor surf conditions. This is a long flat spell, folks.

Now, things get interesting later on. The 27th and 28th of August see a solid increase in size, with 6ft to 6ft of north swell rolling in. But, and it’s a big but, the wind is cross-onshore and choppy, coming from the north at 12-15 mph. The energy jumps to 193 and 298, but it's a messy, wind-blown 6ft to 6ft. That’s not the clean stuff we want. It’s more interesting for the kite crew than us paddle surfers, to be honest.

The real standout of this whole period, the one you should circle on the calendar, is Sunday the 30th of August. We’ve got a proper NW groundswell filling in at a solid 5ft to 6ft with a 7-8 second period. The energy is strong, reading 304 and 315. But the best part is the wind: glassy, complete calm in the morning and a light SE breeze in the afternoon. This is the one. The forecast says "expect good surf conditions," and for a beach and reef set-up like Tawharanui, that's as good as it gets. It’ll be a bit of a novelty after this long flat spell. The swell direction is NW, which is cross to the usual NE optimum, but the clean conditions will make it worth it.

The 29th also has some size, but it's marred by heavy rain and a fresh cross-off breeze. The 31st sees it all drop right back off again into the 1ft to 2ft range as that swell fades.

So, there you have it. A whole lot of nothing for the next week and a half, then one clean, glassy day on the 30th that could be a lot of fun. It’s a long way out, so don’t book the time off just yet, but it’s definitely the one to keep an eye on.

Rusty

Read more