Te Araroa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s brewing for Te Araroa. We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks, with a solid pulse of energy coming through, but you’ve gotta pick your moments.

Right off the bat, Wednesday morning is looking like the standout for the next few days. We’ve got a clean 6ft swell rolling in from the ESE with a period of 13 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, bringing a heap of energy (1126) and delivering excellent conditions for experienced surfers. The wind is light offshore from the SW, so the faces will be smooth. Water temps are sitting at 60°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year, nothing unusual there.

Wednesday afternoon, however, takes a turn. The wind swings to a light cross-on from the NNW, and the surf quality drops off. It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about.

Thursday and Friday are a write-off for decent waves. Thursday morning has a moderate cross-onshore wind with a choppy 5ft swell, and by the afternoon it’s messy cross-shore conditions. Friday sees a spike in size to 10ft from the NW, but the period drops to a short 8 seconds and the wind is a fresh cross-shore. That combo is just lumpy and poor. This setup actually looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Saturday brings a slight improvement. Morning sees a clean 4ft swell from the NW with a light cross-off wind, but the period is short at 7 seconds, making it a bit weak and inconsistent. Still, it’s clean, so you could get a few.

Sunday is tiny. Swell drops to 1ft with a long period of 14 seconds from the SE. That’s weak energy (107) and even with offshore winds, it’s barely worth paddling out for.

Monday and Tuesday are flat. Swell down to 1.0ft or less. Glassy conditions but no push. Wednesday the 6th of August shows a tiny 2ft SE swell with a long 16-second period, but it’s glassy and clean. You’d be scratching for waves.

Thursday the 7th of August is small and clean, but again, the swell is weak and the 6-second period means the waves lack shape and power.

There’s then a gap of a few days with poor, onshore conditions until Sunday the 9th of August. That morning, the game changes. An 8ft NE swell is on the cards with a moderate offshore wind from the SSW. The energy jumps to 740, and it’s looking clean with very good surf. Sunday afternoon gets even better with a 7ft N swell, longer 9-second period, and offshore winds. The combined energy is strong at 1229, and conditions are excellent for experienced surfers.

Monday the 10th of August is a beast. We’re talking about an 18ft to 21ft NNE/NE swell with a long 12-second period and strong offshore winds. The energy is massive (9320 and 11833). However, this is way too big for this break. Only for absolute experts with the right equipment, and even then, it’s a serious challenge.

Tuesday the 11th through Thursday the 13th of August remains big, with swells between 12ft and 16ft and strong offshore or cross-off winds. The energy remains very high, but it’s still oversized for most. The long period also means waves will be powerful and might break a bit straight at the beach, so the point and reef sections could be your best bet.

To wrap it up: your best window is Wednesday morning (29th July) for clean, solid surf, and then keep an eye on Sunday the 9th of August for another great day of clean, strong swell. The big stuff from the 10th onwards is for the brave only.

Stay safe, Rusty.

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