Tawharanui Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Tawharanui.

Honestly, the next week and a half is a bit of a struggle. We’ve got a long stretch of very small, poor quality surf with tricky winds. There’s a glimmer of something bigger much further out, but it comes with a side of strong wind that’ll make it a messy affair.

Right now, from Thursday morning, it’s all about small, weak swell. The water temp is sitting at 60°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year. The first decent chance doesn’t roll around until Saturday the 11th. On Saturday morning, we’ll see a tiny 2ft easterly swell with a 10-second period, and a light breeze from the southeast. The wave energy is weak at 95, and the cross-off wind will keep it clean, but it’s only just surfable. It’s really small and ordinary.

Things stay quiet through Sunday and Monday. Monday the 13th gets a little bump from the north with a 4ft swell, but that short period of 5 seconds and a moderate cross-onshore wind makes it choppy and messy. Not worth paddling out for.

Tuesday the 14th is a bit better. The wind swings light from the west, going cross-off, and we get a 3ft northerly swell. It’s still a weak 77 energy, and the waves are only just surfable, but the cleaner conditions are a welcome change. Still, nothing to get excited about.

Now, the real standout is Saturday the 18th. On Saturday morning, the swell jumps to 7ft from the northeast with a 6-second period, and the combined energy climbs to 425 (moderate). The wind is light from the east-southeast, creating a light cross-shore that will keep the surface tidy. This is the biggest surf we’ll see in the whole forecast, but with that short period, it’ll be a bit lumpy and won’t hold its shape well at Tawharanui’s beach and reef setup. The afternoon sees the swell push to 8ft, but the wind turns onshore and builds to 12 mph, making it choppy. Best bet is definitely the morning session.

Sunday the 19th through Tuesday the 21st is a write-off. The swell is too big with strong onshore winds, blowing everything out. By Tuesday the 21st, the wind swings cross-shore but it’s still a near gale at 31 mph, making it more of a kite-surfing show than a paddle session.

The rest of the second week fades back into small, weak, and windy conditions, with nothing worth chasing.

So, if you’re sitting on your hands, wait for Saturday the 18th. It’s the only real standout. Get on it early for the cleanest 7ft north-east swell, but don’t expect perfection. It’s a long wait for a short window.

Rusty.

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