Tawharanui Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Tawharanui.

Honestly, mate, I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough stretch. The forecast is looking pretty bleak for the next 16 days. We’re staring down a long, dry spell with no real quality surf on offer. The conditions are just not cooperating, and it’s gonna be a waiting game.

We start off with a few days of tiny, weak waves. Friday the 21st through the weekend, you’re looking at ankle-snappers, mostly around 1 ft to 3 ft from the NNW or E. The wind is a mess of cross-off and cross-shore breezes, and the combined energy is just a whisper, barely cracking 54 (moderate wave energy). It’s a write-off.

The next week doesn’t get any better. From Monday the 24th right through to Thursday the 3rd of September, it’s just a flat spell. We’re talking about wave heights barely hitting 0.3 ft to 2 ft. The wind will be a mix of off and cross-off, so it’ll be clean, but there’s simply no swell to push it around. The combined energy levels are pitiful, mostly in the single digits or low double digits (weak wave energy). You’d be better off cleaning your board or takin’ a nap.

Now, there is a little blip on the radar. Saturday the 29th of August sees a pulse of swell from the N, pushing waves up to 6 ft. The combined energy jumps to 216 (strong wave energy). But don’t get your hopes up. The wind is a nasty cross-on from the N at 12 mph, and the period is a short, crumbly 6 seconds. This makes for messy, choppy conditions. It’s a classic case of “looks good on paper, feels terrible in the water.” For a beginner, that 6 ft is gettin’ big, and the chop would make it a real handful. The whole setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The only glimmer of hope is towards the end. On Sunday the 30th of August, we get some clean-up. The wind swings offshore from the WSW at 19 mph, and the swell drops to a more manageable 3 ft from the N. It’s a fresh offshore breeze (fresh offshore and clean), which is a major positive. The combined energy is at 87 (weak wave energy), so it’s not gonna be pumping, but it’ll be a whole lot tidier than the day before. If you’re desperate for a paddle, that’s your window, but keep expectations low.

The rest of the first week of September is just more of the same – tiny, weak slop with no consistency. No standout days, no hidden gems. Just a waiting game for the next proper swell.

Rusty.

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