Te Araroa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

Right now, it’s a slow start. There’s nothing worth paddling out for on the first few days of the forecast. The surf is tiny and messy with poor conditions. The wait is on until the weekend.

The first real chance for a wave comes on Saturday, July 26th. Te Araroa (beach and point) will see a clean 4ft swell rolling in from the ESE with a very long 14 second period. That’s proper groundswell energy, and with a light SSW offshore breeze in the morning, it’s going to be glassy. The combined energy is a solid 549 (moderate), so there’s some push behind it. The water temp is sitting at 60°, which is about normal for this time of year, so nothing unusual there. This is a consistent break, so you can trust it’ll have waves. The offshore wind is the big story here; it’s going to be clean.

The pick of the whole run, though, is Monday, July 28th. Monday afternoon, the swell jumps to 8ft from the SE with a 12 second period, and the combined energy rockets up to 2045 (strong). That’s serious power. The wind will be blowing offshore from the SSW, so the faces will be clean and lined up. This is excellent surf, but at a solid 8ft, it’s for experienced surfers only. The consistent nature of this spot means you’ll get plenty of waves, and with that offshore flow, the crowds won’t be an issue.

Tuesday, July 29th holds similar quality. Morning sees 8ft from the SE, offshore wind from the SSW, and energy at 1713 (strong). The water is still clean. Another day for the experienced crew to get stuck in.

Wednesday, July 30th morning is still a beauty, with 6ft from the ESE at 13 seconds, and a light offshore wind shifting to W. The energy is 1134 (strong), and it’s clean. A solid option for the week.

After that, the wheels fall off a bit. From Wednesday afternoon through the end of the month, the wind turns onshore and the waves get lumpy and messy. Then a big gap sets in. From July 31st all the way through to August 7th, it’s a write-off. Strong winds, poor quality, and incoming swell that’s just ugly. There’s a big swell on August 5th (10ft from the ESE, energy 3084, very strong) but with strong cross-offshore winds, it’s marginal and messy. Not worth the drama.

The outlook finally turns again on Saturday, August 8th. A small clean 3ft swell from the SE with a 12 second period and offshore SSW wind. The energy is low at 208 (weak), but it’s clean, and it’s a sign of life returning. A gentle, fun-sized session to finish the run.

The standout by a long shot is the Monday afternoon, July 28th, and Tuesday, July 29th. Big, powerful, clean surf for the experienced surfers. Don’t sleep on that Saturday morning, July 26th, either, for a clean, glassy session.

Rusty.

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