Te Araroa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let’s get real about Te Araroa.

The pattern kicks off with a bit of a tease, but the real good stuff starts on Sunday, the 27th, and runs through the middle of the week. We’ve got a solid run of groundswell from the ESE, with long, clean sets. The standout days are definitely Tuesday, the 28th, and Wednesday, the 29th, when the swell is at its peak and the wind is perfect.

Water temp is sitting at 60°, which is about what you’d expect for this time of year.

First up, Saturday the 25th has some swell, but it’s a messy NW windswell, cross-off breeze, and the sea state is just average. Not worth paddling out.

Sunday the 26th is a write-off. Cross-off winds, moderate energy, and the surf is marginal. Skip it.

Alright, now we’re talking. Sunday the 27th – morning kicks off with a clean 5ft ESE swell (736 units of moderate energy) and a light offshore from the SSW. The wind is light, it’s clean, and the waves will have some shape. The period is 13 seconds, so it’s proper groundswell – sets will be spaced out, making paddling out easier. The afternoon stays clean with a moderate offshore, still 5ft. Good day for anyone who can handle a bit of size.

Monday the 28th is the big one. Morning sees 7ft SE swell (1285 units of strong energy) with a steady SSW offshore. The period is still 13 seconds – that’s quality groundswell. This is excellent, but at 7ft, it’s getting into the zone where it’s more for experienced surfers. The afternoon bumps up to 8ft (1838 units) – still offshore, clean, and powerful. This is the best of the lot. For a beach and point setup like Te Araroa, this long-period SE swell will be lining up nicely on the point, but the beach break might be a bit straight. Still, the wind is offshore and the quality is top shelf.

Tuesday the 29th carries the momentum. Morning has 6ft ESE swell (1144 units) with a light offshore. Then the afternoon goes glassy – zero wind, 6ft, 12-second period. It doesn’t get much cleaner than that. The energy is still strong. This is another day for the experienced crew, but the glassy conditions will have everyone smiling.

Wednesday the 30th – the wind swings to the WNW and goes cross-shore. The swell drops to 5ft, and the conditions get a bit chopped. The quality drops off. Both sessions are marginal.

Thursday the 31st and Friday the 1st of August – that’s a write-off. Cross-onshore winds, choppy, and poor surf. The sea state is ugly. On Saturday the 1st, there’s a risk of thunderstorms and a 7ft NNW windswell, but it’s a cross-onshore mess. Kite surfers might love it, but for paddle surfing, it’s a no-go. The energy is strong (1310 units) but the quality is terrible.

From Sunday the 2nd of August through to the end of the forecast, it’s a long, flat spell. You’ve got tiny swell, low energy, and mostly cross or onshore winds. There’s a brief moment early Monday the 3rd with a glassy 6ft NNW windswell, but the period is only 7 seconds – it’s short-period junk. The rest of the week is 1ft to 3ft, with very little energy. It’s a classic blank run for this area. The good news is that this stretch of poor surf is normal here, and forecasts can change, so don’t lose hope.

So, to wrap it up: Tuesday the 28th is the absolute standout – 7ft to 8ft of SE swell, strong energy, and clean offshore wind. Wednesday the 29th is a close second with glassy conditions. Get in the water then, because after that, it’s a long wait.

Rusty.

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