Te Araroa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s chew the fat on what’s cookin’ for our local stretch of coast.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a rough start. Monday the 7th is a no-go – westerly cross-onshore winds up to 22 mph and a lumpy 8ft swell with short period (7-8 seconds) just ain’t worth paddling out for. The combined energy is a moderate 747, but it’s messy.

The real window opens up on Tuesday the 8th. That morning, we’re looking at a clean 6ft NNW swell with a southwesterly cross-offshore breeze at 9 mph. The energy drops to 559 (moderate), but the conditions are clean. By the afternoon, it gets even better: the wind swings southerly and goes offshore at just 3 mph, with the swell easing to 6ft from the NNW. The wave comment says “expect good surf conditions,” and the energy is a moderate 421. This is your best bet for the whole forecast – a solid, clean day with a classic groundswell feel.

Wednesday the 9th is a drop-off. The swell crashes to 3ft in the morning and 2ft in the afternoon, with the period dropping to 7 seconds. The morning is cross-offshore and clean, but the afternoon goes glassy with only 61 energy. It’s surfable, but meh. Not a standout.

From Thursday the 10th right through to the 14th, it’s a desert. The swell is tiny (0.3ft to 1ft mostly), the wind is often cross or cross-onshore, and the energy values are in the teens and twenties. A few offshore windows crop up, like Friday the 11th morning with a 22 mph offshore wind, but the swell is only 4ft and the period is 6 seconds – not enough oomph to make it worth the hassle. The 14th sees a very small 1.0ft NE swell with a long 12-second period, but it’s cross-onshore. No good surf for nearly a week.

Then, on the 16th (Wednesday), there’s a flicker of hope. The afternoon shows a 6ft WNW swell with a 6-second period and a cross-offshore wind. The energy jumps to 236 (moderate), and the wave comment says “marginal surf forecast.” The short period means it’s gonna be a bit weak and lumpy, but it’s the only thing close to rideable in that second week.

The rest of the outlook from the 17th through the 22nd is a bust. Tiny swells, mostly sub-3ft, with occasional offshore winds but no real energy to push the waves. The 18th Friday morning has a 19 mph offshore wind, but the swell is a pathetic 0.7ft. The 20th Sunday has a 17-second period from the SE, but only 0.3ft of swell – a ghost. The 22nd Tuesday afternoon has a 4ft WNW swell with a 5-second period, but the energy is only 68.

The Standout: Tuesday the 8th, hands down. Morning session for the cross-offshore breeze and 6ft swell, or afternoon for the offshore wind and 6ft. That’s the only day the stars align for a proper session.

Te Araroa is a beach and point setup, so it handles a bit of everything. The water temp on the 7th morning is 58°F, which is about average for the time of year – no surprises there.

Rusty, signing off.

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