Tawharanui Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, grab a coffee and settle in. Rusty here, and I’ve just finished staring at the charts for Tawharanui. I’ll be honest, it’s a bit of a mixed bag over the next fortnight, with a fair few flat spells to start and a couple of promising windows later on.

The first week is a real struggle. For the opening days – from Tuesday the 4th right through to around Wednesday the 12th – we’re looking at a big, empty lull. There’s barely a ripple to get excited about; the swell energy is weak as dishwater, with readings in the low double digits or even single digits (16). You’ll be staring at flat, clean water, but that’s about it. Even when a little bump appears, the conditions are just "poor." It’s a solid eight-day gap of nothing doing.

We finally get a tiny pulse of life on Wednesday the 12th. The morning offers up a 3ft swell from the NNE with a clean offshore breeze from the SW – a 72 (weak) for energy. The afternoon turns glassy with a 2ft swell, but it’s still small and ordinary. Not worth paddling out for, but it’s a sign things are stirring.

The weekend of the 9th and 10th brings a bigger, rougher pulse of energy (up to 670), but the wind is a messy cross-onshore, making it a choppy, blown-out mess. That’s a pass from me.

Now, the real standouts are in the second week. Mark your calendars for Saturday the 15th. Early morning, a solid 10ft swell from the ENE hits, packing a massive 2442 (strong) of energy, and it’s being carved up by a fresh offshore wind from the SW. That’s clean, powerful surf, but it’s big. For the experts only, this is your window for a serious session.

Then, the absolute pick of the fortnight lands on Monday the 17th. The afternoon looks unreal: a 8ft swell from the E with a 10-second period, producing 1154 (moderate) of energy, and it’s under a gentle offshore breeze from the SW. Clean, lined-up, and powerful – that’s excellent surf for experienced surfers.

For you beginners, those big days are too much. Look at Sunday the 16th afternoon – 4ft from the ENE with a gentle offshore, or Tuesday the 18th morning with a 5ft E swell and clean cross-off winds. Those are your safer bets for a fun, manageable wave without getting pounded.

So, the first week is a write-off, but the second week brings two proper standouts: the big, clean 10ft swell on the 15th for the crew, and the beautiful 8ft E swell on the 17th afternoon as the best all-round session. It’s a patient game this time, but it’ll pay off for those who wait.

Rusty.

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