Te Araroa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Te Araroa over the next couple of weeks.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but the first real action kicks off Thursday the 6th of August. It’s a mixed bag at first, but there’s some real gems hiding in the back half of the forecast, especially for the crew who don’t mind a bit of size.

Thursday morning is pretty tiny with a 1 ft swell from the SE. Not much to write home about, but the wind is offshore from the SSW, so it’s clean. The energy is weak (42), so you’ll be scratching for waves. The afternoon is a whole different story – the swell jumps to 5 ft from the SE, with a period of 10 seconds, and the wind drops to a slight air. The energy is moderate (508) and the conditions are clean. This is a solid, fun afternoon session.

Friday morning the 7th is looking glassy with a 5 ft SE swell (10-second period) and 497 energy. That’s a real nice, clean window. The wind goes glassy, so it’s going to be slick. The afternoon turns a bit cross-shore, so it’ll get a little bumpy, but still surfable.

Saturday morning the 8th is another glassy one with a 3 ft SE swell, 12-second period, and 278 energy. That’s a long period groundswell, so you’ll feel the pull between sets. It’s clean and inviting. The afternoon gets a bit light and cross-onshore, so it’ll lose its shine.

The 9th and 10th (Sunday and Monday) are a write-off. The wind goes onshore and strong, with a big 10 ft to 13 ft NW windswell on Monday. The energy is huge (1328 to 2747), but the wind is making it a lumpy, choppy mess. Leave the board at home, or maybe bring the kite gear.

We get a bit of a rebound on Tuesday the 11th morning. A clean 5 ft NW swell (9 seconds) with cross-offshore wind and 472 energy. It’s rideable, but not the standout. The next few days are a mix of small, clean, but ordinary surf through to Wednesday the 12th.

Now, here’s a real standout. Thursday the 13th of August. Morning is firing. A 6 ft NNE swell, 7-second period, with clean cross-offshore wind. The energy is strong (642) and the conditions are clean. That’s a proper fun morning. The afternoon gets a bit bigger (8 ft) but the wind goes cross-shore, so it’s a bit wonky.

Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th offer some nice, clean, smaller waves in the 4 ft to 5 ft range with offshore or clean cross-off winds. Good for a longboard or a fun grovel board.

Then we get to the big one. Sunday the 16th of August afternoon is clean with a 5 ft N swell, but the real magic is Monday the 17th. This is the one to circle. Morning brings an 8 ft N swell with a long 11-second period and clean, moderate offshore wind from the SSW. The energy is massive (1939). This is for experienced surfers only – it’s too big for beginners. The afternoon holds at 10 ft with the same clean offshore wind (2053 energy). This is a serious, powerful groundswell. It’s going to be perfect at the point, but the beach breaks will be shifty and hollow.

Tuesday the 18th is a bit of a reset, but then Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th are for the big dogs only. The 19th is huge (11 ft) with a lot of wind, but the 20th is the real sleeper. Thursday the 20th of August: morning has a 10 ft ESE swell (9-second period) with light offshore wind and 1394 energy. The afternoon is glassy with an 8 ft ESE swell and 1067 energy. Both are labeled "excellent for experienced surfers." The energy is strong, the wind is perfect, and the swell is solid. That’s a proper, heavy session.

Best on offer:
The clear standout is Monday the 17th of August. That 8 ft to 10 ft NNE groundswell with clean, moderate offshore wind is the pick of the whole run. It’s a proper, powerful, clean swell (energy 1939-2053). Only for the experienced crew.
The second best is Thursday the 20th of August. The 10 ft to 8 ft ESE swell with glassy or light offshore conditions is a rare treat, but again, it’s big and only for experts.

Crowds at Te Araroa are never a problem, so you’ll have plenty of room.

Rusty.

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