Tawharanui Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here with the imperial version. Let’s be straight: the next few weeks at Tawharanui are mostly a write-off. We’ve got a long, dry gap of nothing worth paddling out for from now until the morning of Friday, 17 July. That’s over a week of tiny, short-period slop, messy wind, and flat spells. The water temp is sitting at 59°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first real glimmer comes Friday, 17 July morning. The swell is tiny, only 1 ft from the east, but it’s got a long period of 17 seconds – proper groundswell. That long period means the waves will feel more energetic and have better shape, especially at a reefier part of the break, but the sets will be slow and spaced out. The wind is offshore from the WSW at 9 mph, keeping things clean. The combined energy is weak (99), so don’t expect much power. This is a beginner-friendly size, but the long period and offshore make it a session for someone who just wants to sit on a longboard and catch a few. It’s fairly consistent, and crowds are often, so you might have company.

The rest of the run into the second week is a whole lot of nothing. We get a glassy day on Sunday, 19 July morning, but the swell is a pathetic 0.7 ft. Not worth getting wet. From Monday, 20 July, the wind swings onshore and stays that way – strong, choppy, and messy. The swell picks up slightly but it’s short-period windswell, so the quality is poor. This stretch is really only something for kitesurfers if the wind gets strong enough.

Then, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Sunday, 26 July is the standout. Morning and afternoon both look good. Swell is a clean 3 ft from the east, period at 13 seconds – a solid, mid-period groundswell. The wind is cross-offshore from the SSE at 6-9 mph, so the waves will be clean and lined up. The combined energy is moderate (350), so there’s a bit of push. This is a great size for most surfers, not too big for beginners but with enough juice for a fun ride. The break is exposed to the east, and the optimum swell direction is NE, so this east swell is a little off-angle, but it’ll still wrap in nicely.

Monday, 27 July also has some promise. Morning is questionable, but the afternoon shows 3 ft from the east, 12-second period, light cross-off wind, and clean conditions. Energy is solid (309). It’s worth a look if you missed Sunday.

Overall, don’t hold your breath for the first week. The best bet is the Sunday, 26 July – that’s your session. The Monday after is a decent backup. Everything else is a skip.

Rusty.

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