Te Araroa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on the cards for Te Araroa over the next couple of weeks.

The first solid window of surf kicks off this Saturday the 18th, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag to start. Saturday morning brings a 5ft swell from the ESE with a 14-second period, and the combined energy is moderate at 986. The wind is a cross-shore from the WNW at 12 mph, which isn’t ideal for clean faces. It’ll be a bit lumpy, and honestly, it’s a marginal session. The afternoon cleans up a little as the wind goes cross-off, dropping the swell to 5ft, but still, nothing to get too excited about.

Sunday the 19th is where we start to see some real potential. The morning session is the standout early in the period. A clean 4ft SE swell with a 13-second period, and light cross-off winds from the SW at 6 mph. The combined energy is 509, which is moderate, but the conditions are clean. This is a good, solid, fun wave for a beginner to intermediate surfer. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

Things drop off quickly after that. From Monday the 20th through to Thursday the 23rd, the swell gets tiny—1ft to 3ft—with low energy readings (between 36 and 184). The best of that lot is Thursday morning the 23rd with glassy conditions and a 1ft SE swell, but you’d be fighting for a knee-high wave. It’s a real lull.

Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th are a write-off. The wind is up and the swell is a messy, short-period windswell from the WNW and NW. Not worth paddling out for.

Now, we get a bit of a pulse again on Sunday the 26th. A 3ft SE swell rolls in with a 14-second period, and the combined energy is 386. The wind is cross-off from the W at 12 mph, so it’s clean. It’s not huge, but it’s a better option than what we’ve seen.

The best on offer, however, is Monday the 27th. The morning brings a clean 3ft SE swell with a 13-second period, and the wind is offshore from the SW at 12 mph. The combined energy is 332. The conditions are described as “moderate offshore and clean,” which means proper groomed waves. This is the pick of the period for a solid, longboard-friendly session.

Tuesday the 28th is glassy but small, with 2ft to 2ft swells. It’s surfable, but you’ll be working for it.

Then we get a bit of a jump in size on Wednesday the 29th. A 6ft NW swell with a short 7-second period and 346 combined energy. The wind is cross-off in the morning, so it’s clean, but that short period means it’ll be a bit crumbly and maybe a little too fat for a point break. It’s still a fun, punchy option for a shortboard.

Thursday the 30th is mostly flat, and then Friday the 31st brings a 7ft NW swell with a 6-second period, building to 8ft by the afternoon. The wind is light, but the period is so short it’ll be a bit of a bumpy, chaotic mess. That’s one for the more experienced crew who don’t mind a challenge.

The real kicker is on Saturday the 1st of August. A massive 13ft to 15ft NW swell arrives with a 10-second period and a combined energy of 3952. That’s a lot of power. The wind is cross-shore, but the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. It’s a serious, heavy, expert-only situation. The beach-and-point setup here is going to be absolutely thumping, and honestly, for the average surfer, it’s a day to watch from the shore. For a kite surfer, this would be a dream.

Sunday the 2nd of August sees the swell drop back to 6ft from the NW with a 9-second period, and the wind is offshore from the S at 3 mph. It’s a clean, decent option to wrap up the forecast.

So, to sum it up: the standout is Monday the 27th for a clean, offshore, 3ft SE swell. For a bit more size, Wednesday the 29th is worth a look, and for the brave, Saturday the 1st of August is a big-wave, expert-only day.

Rusty.

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