Te Araroa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break down the next couple weeks. Gotta say, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, but there’s one session that stands out from the rest.

Right off the bat, Wednesday the 5th is a total loss. Tiny, weak, and not worth paddling out. Thursday the 6th isn’t much better in the morning, but the afternoon is a different story. The swell jumps up to about 5ft from the southeast, and with a light southerly wind, it cleans right up. The energy is moderate at 518, and this is the standout of the week. The water temp is around 60°, which is pretty normal for this time of year.

That Thursday afternoon is the one to get. It’s a beach and point set-up here at Te Araroa, and it’s consistent, which is a bonus. The swell direction is from the southeast, which is off from the ideal, but the clean conditions and size make it work. This is a solid 5ft, so it might be a bit much for beginners, but for anyone with a bit of experience, it’s a go.

Friday the 7th backs off in the morning, glassy but small. The afternoon kicks up a little to 5ft, but the wind goes cross-shore and it gets a bit grovelly. Not worth getting overly excited. The weekend is a bust. Saturday’s got some swell, but nothing special, and Sunday gets messy with onshore winds. By Sunday afternoon, it’s 7ft but poor quality with a fresh cross-onshore. That’s more for the kite crew than the paddle crew.

Monday the 10th brings some bigger swell, around 8ft, but it’s cross-shore and lumpy with a short period. It’s junky and not fun for most. Tuesday the 11th cleans up some and drops to around 5ft, but winds aren’t great. Wednesday the 12th has a glassy afternoon with a 5ft northerly swell and moderate energy (361). It’ll be clean but short-period, so a bit sectiony. A chance for a few fun ones, but not a day to call in sick for.

From Thursday the 13th onward, it’s a slow fade. Some size, but the wind is mostly cross or cross-off, and quality drops off. There’s a long stretch from the 13th to the 20th that’s pretty poor, with weak energy and small, messy surf. The swell direction swings around a bit, but nothing lines up well.

So, if you’ve got one window, make it Thursday afternoon the 6th of August. That’s your best shot at clean, decent-sized waves. The rest is about picking through the mediocre stuff. The longer-range outlook in the second week is just not worth planning around. Keep an eye on the wind, and don’t force it on the rough days.

Rusty

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