Te Araroa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. We’re looking at the next 16 days for our local zone, and I’ll be straight with you – it’s a rough start. There’s a big dry spell at the beginning with nothing worth paddling out for. We’re talking a solid 7 days of almost no surf at all from now through to the morning of the 7th of August. Don’t bother checking the cam. Keep the board in the car unless you just want a tan. Things do eventually turn around, with one proper standout window late in the run that’s worth circling on the calendar.

The first real action comes on the morning of Friday, August 7th, at Te Araroa. This is a beach and point setup, consistent, and exposed to swell. The morning looks like the pick, with a clean 6 ft swell pushing in from the north. The period is short, at 6 seconds, so it’ll be a bit crumbly and fat on the beach, but the point should offer up some lines. The wind is light offshore from the SSW (3 mph), and water temp is about 60°, which is pretty normal for the time of year. Wave energy is moderate (210). It’s a beginner-friendly size, and with crowds never an issue here, it’s a solid session for a learner or someone wanting a cruisy wave. The afternoon sees the swell jump to 7 ft, but the wind swings cross-on and it gets a little lumpy, so the morning is the window.

The real standout, and the one to get excited about, is the morning of Saturday, August 8th. This is the best on offer in this entire 16-day stretch. Te Araroa will have a clean 8 ft swell out of the north. While the period is still short (8 seconds), the combined energy jumps to a strong 736. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the west at 6 mph, keeping it nice and clean. This is solid intermediate-to-expert territory, and given the exposure, the point should be handling that north swell beautifully. Expect some proper, punchy waves that will make the long wait worth it. The afternoon bumps up to 7 ft, but a cross-shore wind creeps in and textures the surface, so the morning is your golden ticket.

After that, we drift back into mediocrity. The morning of Sunday, August 9th, is still surfable at 4 ft, but the cross-shore wind (12 mph) and moderate chop make it a bit of a slog. It gets messy and blown out from there, with rain and strong cross-onshore winds ruining the surface from the 10th right through to the 14th. The swell even gets huge on the 11th with a 15 ft E swell, but the wind is screaming onshore, so it’s a complete washout – more of a kite surfing or big-wave towing setup than a paddle session.

Finally, there’s a glimmer at the very end. On the morning of Saturday, August 15th, Te Araroa looks promising again. A solid 10 ft north-west swell, short period of 8 seconds, but combined energy is very high (1251). The wind is a clean moderate offshore from the SSW at 12 mph. This is big, powerful, and only for experienced surfers. The afternoon stays clean with 8 ft and offshore wind, but the rating suggests a bit of questionable tide. For the brave, this is a strong, promising end to the outlook, though being over a week out, keep expectations in check.

Signing off,
Rusty

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