Te Araroa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's get into it. The next couple of weeks here at Te Araroa (beach and point) are a real mixed bag. We’ve got a lot of onshore crud and some proper wind issues to start, but if you’re patient, there’s a solid window of clean, offshore swell that’ll make it all worthwhile. The water is sitting at 62°F right now, which is about a degree and a half warmer than usual for this time of year – not a huge deal, but a nice little bonus for the first week of July.

Sunday the 5th is a write-off. Strong northerlies, rain, and messy, short-period slop. Not worth paddling out. Monday the 6th is a bit better, but still not great. The afternoon shows a bit of size with an 8ft swell from the NNW, but it’s short period (6-8 seconds) and the wind is still on it. It’s a marginal call at best.

Tuesday the 7th morning is the first real standout. We’ve got glassy conditions with a light W wind, and a clean 5ft swell from the NW with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is moderate at 692, and while it’s not a massive swell, it’s clean and the conditions are perfect for a beginner to intermediate session. The crowd profile is "never," so you’ll have the place to yourself. This is your best early bet.

The rest of the week from Wednesday the 8th through Sunday the 12th is a slow build. Swell sizes bounce between 4ft and 7ft, with periods mostly around 10 seconds. The winds shift around, but we start seeing some clean, offshore conditions from the south and southwest from Thursday the 9th onward. The Thursday morning window with a 5ft ESE swell and a gentle offshore breeze is a solid, clean option, but the energy is a bit weaker (560 combined). Saturday the 11th sees a flat spell – tiny 0.3ft leftovers – so don’t bother.

Then from Sunday the 12th through Friday the 17th, things really turn on. We’re looking at a consistent run of clean, offshore winds from the south and SSW, with swell sizes ranging from 3ft to 8ft. The periods are hovering around 10-14 seconds, which is good groundswell. The standout here is Thursday the 16th morning. You’ve got a 8ft SE swell, a 10-second period, and a light offshore SSW breeze. The combined energy is a solid 1216, indicating moderate to strong wave energy. This is a proper expert session, as the size is over 8ft for the experienced crew. The break is consistent and exposed, and it’s a point break setup, so it’ll handle that long-period groundswell well. The crowd profile is never, so no crowds to worry about.

Friday the 17th morning is another top pick – 7ft SE swell, 11-second period, and clean cross-offshore winds. The combined energy is 1686, which is strong. This is a fantastic intermediate-to-expert session.

The second week gets a bit messy again. Wednesday the 15th afternoon looks rough – an 12ft SE swell with a cross-shore wind, and the data says it’s just too big for the break. That’s a pass for paddle surfing, but if you’re into kiting, that setup with the size and cross-shore might be interesting.

From Saturday the 18th onward, it’s back to onshore northerlies and rain, with swell sizes dropping off and the wind turning it to junk. Nothing to recommend there.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a slow start, but the real action is from the 12th to the 17th. If you’ve got a day to pick, Thursday the 16th morning is the absolute best of the run – big, clean, and uncrowded. Tuesday the 7th morning is your best bet if you want something smaller and glassy.

Rusty.

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