Te Araroa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

First up, we’ve got a bit of a slow start, but Wednesday the 29th of July is where it’s at. That morning, Te Araroa is pumping with a solid 6ft swell from the ESE, and the period is a nice 13 seconds – that’s real groundswell energy, with power to it. The combined energy is a strong 1126, and we’ve got a light cross-offshore breeze from the SW at just 3 mph. This is going to be clean, lined-up surf, perfect for experienced surfers. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing to write home about, but the conditions are the standout. That afternoon, it drops off a bit with a cross-on wind, so make the most of the morning.

Thursday the 30th sees the wind swing around to the NNW and bump up to 12 mph, making it choppy and messy. The swell drops to 5ft, but it’s just not worth it with that cross-onshore junk. Friday the 31st is a write-off – we’ve got a big 10ft swell from the NW, but the period is a short, weak 8 seconds, and the wind is howling at 18-19 mph. It’s a lumpy, cross-shore mess. That’s one for the kite surfers, not the paddle crew.

We then hit a long, flat, and quiet spell. Saturday the 1st of August has a tiny 2ft wave, but it’s clean with light winds. It’s surfable, but barely. From Sunday the 2nd right through to Thursday the 7th of August, we’re looking at a real dry spell with waves mostly under 3ft and often under 2ft. The wind is often offshore or glassy, which is a silver lining, but there’s just no energy. The combined energy readings are in the double digits, which is weak. This is a classic blank run for this area.

Things start to flicker back to life on Friday the 7th of August. The morning session sees a 4ft swell from the NNW, and with a glassy SSW breeze at 3 mph, it’s clean. The period is a short 6 seconds, so it’s weak, but it’s a start. Saturday the 8th of August brings a bigger 8ft swell from the NNW, but it’s got a moderate onshore wind from the NNE at 12 mph, making it messy and lumpy. By Sunday the 9th, the wind is up to 18 mph, the swell is 8ft from the N, and it’s just poor conditions. These bigger swells are all wind-affected.

From the 10th onwards, the pattern is more of the same: onshore winds from the NE or NNE, and swell hanging around 5ft to 6ft, but with a short period and a lot of chop. The combined energy is moderate, but the quality is poor. It’s not worth paddling out for. The whole second week is a bit of a bust, with no real standouts. The only true winner is that Wednesday morning on the 29th of July.

Stay safe, and keep your eyes on the horizon.

Rusty.

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