Te Araroa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking at Te Araroa.

We’ve got a bit of a wait on our hands, but some real gems are showing up later in the month. The first few days offer a taste of fun, then a quiet spell, before a big pulse of energy arrives for the final weekend. The water temp is sitting at 59°F, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

The action kicks off Saturday afternoon, August 15th. It’s a bit messy with rain showers and a cross-off wind from the SSE at 9 mph, but the swell is a clean 7 ft from the ENE with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is moderate at 698, and it’s looking like very good surf. This is a solid start for a beach and point setup.

Sunday the 16th is a good call for the morning. The wind has swung offshore from the S at 16 mph, cleaning up a 5 ft SE swell. Not a huge wave, but with that offshore flow and a moderate energy reading of 441, it’ll be a fun, manageable day. The afternoon drops off a bit with a smaller 3 ft swell.

Monday the 17th is a write-off with strong winds, and Tuesday the 18th is the real standout for the first week. Tuesday morning brings a 6 ft swell from the SE, with a 10-second period and a solid combined energy of 640. The wind is light offshore from the SSW at 9 mph, making for gentle, clean conditions. This is the pick of the early period – a proper glassy morning with some decent push.

There’s then a frustrating gap. From Tuesday afternoon on the 18th right through to the end of the week, the surf goes flat and small. There are a few days in there with weak energy readings (22, 93, 67, 14) and nothing worth paddling for. It’s a real dry spell, so save your energy.

Things finally start to revive on Thursday the 20th. The morning shows a 5 ft SE swell with a 9-second period and a moderate 446 combined energy. The wind is light offshore from the S at 9 mph, offering clean, gentle conditions. The afternoon holds similar quality with a 5 ft swell. This is a good, solid day to get back in the water.

After that, the surf goes quiet again until the final week. The real fireworks are saved for the last weekend of the month.

Friday the 28th of August is a monster. The afternoon sees a massive 13 ft swell from the NNW, packing a huge combined energy of 2506. That is serious power. The wind is offshore from the S at 16 mph, so it’s clean. But keep in mind, this is a beach and point set-up, and waves over 8 ft are for experts only. This is a big, powerful, heavy day for experienced surfers only.

Saturday the 29th is the absolute standout of the whole outlook. The morning brings a 7 ft swell from the N with a 9-second period and a combined energy of 795. The wind is light offshore from the S at 9 mph, giving you gentle, clean conditions. The afternoon is even better for the experienced crew – a 10 ft swell from the NNW with a 9-second period and a massive 1230 combined energy. The wind is light from the S at 6 mph, making it glassy. This is a world-class couple of sessions; the morning for the strong intermediate, the afternoon for the expert.

Sunday the 30th is still good, but the energy is dropping. The morning shows a 8 ft swell from the NNW with 890 combined energy, and the afternoon holds a 8 ft NW swell with 940 combined energy. Both have cross-off winds, so it’s still clean, but not quite the perfection of Saturday.

So, to sum it up: the first week has a great Tuesday morning (August 18th) and a solid Thursday (August 20th). Then a long flat spell. The big prize is the final weekend – Friday the 28th is a monster for experts, and Saturday the 29th is the best all-round day of the whole outlook. Go get it.

Rusty.

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