Te Araroa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for our neck of the woods. We're kickin' off the forecast period with a bit of a flat spell, to be honest. The first few days are looking pretty quiet, with tiny waves and messy conditions. But don't you worry, there's a bit of a pulse building out there, and we’ve got a real standout morning to look forward to later in the week.

Forget the early part of the week. Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th are a write-off at Te Araroa. We're lookin' at knee-high dribblers at best, with barely any energy in the water (23 and 8 on the energy scale). Winds are glassy Monday mornin', but there's just not enough swell to make it worthwhile. Wednesday the 16th starts to see a little bump, with a 1ft NE swell, but the wind is straight cross-shore and choppy, so it's still a no-go. Thursday the 17th gets a bit more size, but that 5ft NNW swell has a shocking 5-second period – just a messy, blown-out windswell.

Now, Friday the 18th is the day the ocean starts to wake up. The morning's still not great, with a moderate cross-shore, but by Friday afternoon, we finally get some half-decent energy movin' through. The combined swell energy hits 567, and while it's still only marginal, you can feel the potential building. The swell is a 3ft SE groundswell with a 12-second period, but those cross-shore winds are holding it back from being truly clean.

The big one, the real standout, is Saturday morning, the 19th of September. This is where it all comes together. We're waking up to clear skies, a light 6 mph offshore breeze from the west, and a clean, glassy ocean. The swell jumps to a solid 6ft out of the NW, with a nice 9-second period. The combined energy is a chunky 829 – that's proper moderate-to-strong energy. This is the best on offer, no question. It's going to be a bit much for beginners at that size, but for anyone with a bit of experience, it's game on. The winds are cross-off, which should keep the faces pretty tidy at Te Araroa, especially with it being a beach and point setup. Keep in mind, crowds are listed as 'never', so you might score a fairly empty lineup. The water temp? About average for this time of year, so a spring suit will be fine.

Sunday the 20th still has a bit of life, with the morning seeing a 2ft SE swell and a gentle 9 mph offshore from the south. The waves will be clean but much smaller, so a good option if Saturday was too big, or if you’re still hanging out for a surf.

Beyond that, things get patchy and a bit less reliable. From Monday the 21st onwards, we're into a mixed bag of cross-shore winds and weaker swell pulses. A bit of energy shows up Wednesday the 23rd with a 5ft SE swell, but it's a short-period windswell and the winds are messy. The final week, from the 24th to the 29th, is mostly small and average. There are a few mornings with clean conditions on the 24th and 26th for a longboard if you're desperate, but nothing to get excited about. The energy just drops right off.

So, to wrap it up: ride the flat spell for a few days, keep an eye on Friday afternoon for a sign of things to come, but circle Saturday the 19th of September in the calendar. That morning is the pick of the forecast.

Rusty.

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