Tawharanui Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next 16 days are a real mixed bag for Tawharanui. There’s a long dry spell at the start with nothing worth paddling out for, but we do have a bit of a window later on. Don’t get your hopes up too high, but there’s something to keep an eye on.

The first week is pretty grim. From Saturday, 1 August right through to the morning of Friday, 7 August, we’re looking at flat, tiny, or messy conditions. The biggest swell you’ll see in that period is a piddly 3 ft on Sunday morning, but with a weak energy reading of just 69 (low), and it’s a short period swell of 7 seconds, so it’s not going to do anything. Winds are mostly cross or cross-on, and the water temp is sitting at 58°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

Now, the first real standout comes on Saturday, 8 August. That afternoon, Tawharanui gets a proper kick. We’re looking at a 7 ft swell from the north, with an 8-second period. The combined energy jumps to 997 (strong wave energy), which is a significant bump. The wind is light and offshore from the west, so the surf will be clean. The only catch is that 7 ft is getting into the territory where it’s too big for beginners – this is more for the experienced crew. The break is a beach and reef set-up, so with that north swell and a period of 8 seconds, it should line up alright. It’s a fairly consistent spot, but crowds are often here, so expect company.

The morning of Saturday, 8 August is also worth a mention. It’s 6 ft from the north, with a moderate 477 energy (moderate), and a clean cross-offshore wind from the west-northwest. It’s a bit smaller, but still a solid option before the afternoon peak.

Sunday, 9 August gets messy quickly. The wind swings easterly and ramps up to 22-28 mph, blowing cross-on and lumpy. The swell drops to 3 ft, and the energy falls to 134 (moderate), but the quality is shot. The rest of the second week is a write-off – constant onshore winds, rain, and tiny swell. The best you’ll see is 2 ft from the east or northeast, with period around 10 seconds, but it’s all blown out and messy. Energy levels are weak, mostly under 100. There’s nothing to recommend from the 9th through to the 16th.

So, the standout is definitely Saturday afternoon, 8 August. That’s your best bet. The morning of the 8th is a solid backup. Everything else is either flat or rubbish. It’s a long wait, but there’s a little reward for the patient.

Rusty.

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