Te Araroa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's coming up for Te Araroa. It's a mix of waiting, then some real gems later on.

We're looking at a pretty slow start. The first surf worth paddling out for isn't until Thursday the 9th, so you're sitting through Wednesday with nothing great on offer. From there, it's a bit of a stop-start week with some good windows.

The water is sitting at about 62°F, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year – feels pretty nice.

Thursday the 9th morning is the first proper chance, but it's not a standout. You've got a 5 ft swell from the ESE with a 10-second period, and a light S breeze keeping things cross-off and clean. It's small and a bit inconsistent, but it's the start of the run.

The first real standout hits Friday the 10th afternoon. Now, this is a big one. The swell jumps to 12 ft from the SE, with a solid 10-second period. The combined swell energy is strong at 2178. But here's the catch – that's way too big for this break. This is for hard-core experienced surfers only. The wind is from the south at 22 mph, so it's fresh. Honestly, at this size with that wind, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Saturday the 11th morning is another highlight. You've got offshore wind from the SSW at 12 mph, cleaning up a 8 ft SE swell (10-second period). The combined energy is still strong at 1185. This is still big – over 8 ft – so again, it's for the experienced crew. The afternoon drops to a more manageable 7 ft, and the wind lightens to 6 mph from the south, staying offshore. Clean conditions.

Now, looking further out, Wednesday the 15th afternoon is a sneaky good one. It's a much smaller 4 ft swell, but from the ESE with a very long 16-second period. That's a proper groundswell with long lines. The combined energy is moderate-high at 847, and it's glassy with no wind. Perfect for a point break or reef setup, but at a beach break it might break a bit too straight. Keep that in mind.

But the absolute best on offer, the one to circle on your calendar, is Thursday the 16th. Thursday morning has a 7 ft ESE swell (14-second period) with moderate combined swell energy at 1809, and a light S breeze keeping it clean. Then Thursday afternoon is looking even better – same 7 ft ESE swell (14 seconds, strong deep ocean energy at 1735), but glassy conditions. This is the standout window for experienced surfers. It's still over 8 ft, so it's not for beginners.

Around here, it tends not to stay flat for long, and forecasts can change, but this run has some serious potential.

Always, Rusty.

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