Tawharanui Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright surfers, Rusty here. Let’s dive into what the next couple of weeks are serving up for the Tawharanui zone. I’ve gotta be straight with you—this ain’t a classic run. There’s a long stretch of flat, messy, or just plain frustrating conditions, but we’ll look for any glimmers where we can.

Right now, we’re stuck in a poor start. Monday and Tuesday (July 13-14) are a write-off with rain showers, cross-onshore junk, and tiny, weak swell. The energy readings are pathetically low (25-99), so don’t bother paddling out. That trend of small, poor surf carries right through most of the first week. Wednesday the 15th looks clean with light winds, but the swell is only 1 ft from the north—waist-high dribble. Not worth getting wet for.

Thursday the 16th is a tease. Glassy conditions in the morning with a slight air, but again, only 1 ft of north-northwest windswell. Come afternoon, it’s dead flat at 0.7 ft. You’d be scratching for anything.

Friday the 17th through Sunday the 19th finally sees some improvement, but we’re still talking about surfable but very ordinary conditions. The swell bumps up slightly to 2-2 ft from the east and north, with clean, light offshore winds from the south-southwest. The energy is still weak (49-93), but at least you could find a few crumbly waist-high waves at Tawharanui (beach and reef). The water temp sits at a pretty standard 59° for this time of year, so no surprises there. Crowds can be an issue here often, but on waves this small, you’ll likely have it mostly to yourself.

Then we hit a massive slump. From Monday July 20 right through to Monday July 27, it’s back to poor surf. A big blow-up on the 20th and 21st brings strong cross-shore winds and lumpy, choppy conditions. Later in that week, the wind goes strong offshore (SSW at 25 mph), cleaning things up, but the swell dies back to a pitiful 1 ft. Hard to paddle into, even if it looks clean. That’s a solid 8-day blank stretch for any decent wave.

The only standout—and I mean the *only* one worth a mention—arrives on the very last day of the forecast. Tuesday, July 28 sees a sudden jump in swell: 8-8 ft from the north, with cross-onshore wind. The combined energy is massive at 575-922, showing strong wave energy. This is a legitimate sized swell. However, the period is short (7-8 seconds) meaning it’s windswell, not groundswell, and with a cross-onshore wind, expect chopped-up, bumpy faces. At 8 ft, this is for experienced surfers only. The setup at Tawharanui’s beach and reef might also handle this better for kite surfing than paddle surfing. It’s a raw, challenging day, but it’s the only real size we see.

So, in a nutshell: don’t hold your breath for the first 15 days. There are a few clean but tiny windows mid-week, and then a big, gnarly pulse right at the end. If you’re desperate, the best bet is the clean, small conditions from Fri 17th to Sun 19th for a few cruisy waves. Everything else is a pass.

Stay patient, and check back—forecasts can shift.

Rusty.

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