Tawharanui Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mates, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper paddle. We’ve got a lot of small, weak swell and wind directions that just aren’t doing us any favors. It’s going to be a waiting game for the most part.

We start off with a glimmer on Tuesday morning at Tawharanui. The swell is tiny, only 2ft from the east, and with a light offshore breeze, it will at least be clean. The energy is weak, coming in at just 41, and while it’s surfable, it’s pretty ordinary. The water temp is 58°F, which is about normal for this time of year. Don’t expect much more than a few small, crumbly waves for the beginners.

Then we hit a real flat spell. From Tuesday afternoon all the way through to Saturday the 23rd, it’s basically nothing. We’re talking waves under 1ft and energy readings dropping to single digits. There’s a little pulse of 4ft on Sunday the 23rd, but it’s short-period windswell from the northwest, and with a fresh cross-offshore breeze, it’s just not going to be any good. That whole stretch is a write-off.

The flatness continues into the following week, with tiny waves and cross-shore winds making things messy. We do see a bit of a bump on Thursday the 28th, with a 4ft northwest swell, but the wind will be cross-onshore and choppy, so it’s not worth getting excited about.

Now, here’s the one that might have a bit of life in it: Saturday the 29th. We’re looking at a push of 5ft from the NNW, with a moderate cross-offshore wind. The energy jumps up to a moderate 246, which is the strongest we’ve seen in the whole run. It’s still not massive, but that combination of size and clean wind makes it the standout of the fortnight. The swell direction is a little off from the optimum, but it’s the best on offer. Just be aware this is over a week away, so treat it as promising, but not set in stone.

After that, it fades back down again. The 30th has a tiny 2ft and glassy conditions which would be nice if there was any power behind it. The first of September shows a clean 3ft in the morning, but it’s weak.

Honestly, for most of this period, the setup at Tawharanui’s beach and reef looks more interesting for the kite surfers than for us on a paddleboard. The waves are just too small and weak to do much with.

Hang in there, and keep an eye on that Saturday the 29th.

Rusty.

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