Tawharanui Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Let’s get into it. I’ve been staring at the charts for Tawharanui and, well, it’s a pretty grim run for the next couple of weeks. There’s nothing here that’s going to get the heart pumping, and most of the time you’ll be shaking your head at the lack of swell.

The outlook starts with a bit of a dud. The first week is mostly small, weak energy, with the odd bit of cross-offshore wind that keeps things clean, but the waves are just too small to really get into. The best of a bad bunch is Saturday morning, July 11th, with a tiny 2ft swell from the east, but the wind is cross-offshore and light, so the surface is clean. The combined energy is a weak 74, so it’s more about floating than surfing. The water temp is 60°F, which is dead average for this time of year, so not a shock to the system.

A few days later, on Tuesday, July 14th, we get a slight bump in size. The morning sees a 4ft swell from the north with a short period of 6 seconds, and the combined energy climbs to 100, which is just barely moderate. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the WNW, so the face will be clean. Still, it’s a short-period windswell, so it’ll be a bit bumpy and won’t have much push. The afternoon is a touch smaller at 4ft but with a bit more energy (146). It’s surfable, but not a standout.

The second week is a total washout. From around July 15th through to the 25th, the swell is consistently under 3ft, mostly coming from the north or east with short, weak periods. You get a few glassy moments on the afternoon of July 22nd, with a 3ft ENE swell, but the energy is a paltry 44. It’s clean, but you’re scratching for a wave. The wind does swing offshore from the SSW on July 21st, but the swell is only 0.7ft, so it’s a flat paddle.

The only real thing to note is that the swell direction is mostly east or north, but Tawharanui prefers a NE swell, so it’s never quite lining up properly. The week of the 19th brings some strong winds, but the swell stays tiny, so that just makes it choppy and unpleasant.

There’s no standout here, no day to circle on the calendar. It’s a long, quiet spell. The breaks are fairly consistent, so it’s just a matter of waiting for the next system to kick in. Forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it, but for now, leave the boards at home. You’re not missing anything.

Rusty

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