Te Araroa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, listen up, crew. This is Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Te Araroa. Gotta be straight with you – the next week or so is a real test of patience. The surf is small, the wind is messy, and it’s mostly a write-off. But hang tight, because there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.

The first few days are a struggle. From Monday the 20th through to the end of the month, we’re looking at tiny, weak waves. The swell energy is in the gutter, barely cracking 100 (179) on Monday, and then just dropping. We’re talking knee-high slop, if that. The wind is all over the place – cross-off, cross-on, glassy – but the swell just isn’t there to back it up. The water is a touch warm at 61°, about average for the time of year, but that doesn’t make the surf any better. This is a real dry spell, nearly two weeks of nothing worth paddling out for.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The real story starts on Monday the 27th of July. The wind goes light, the swell jumps up, and suddenly we’ve got a proper groundswell on the cards. The standout is Te Araroa, a beach and point break that’s consistent and exposed to the swell. The morning of the 27th, it’s a clean 5 ft from the ESE with a long 13-second period, and the energy is cranking at 930 – that’s solid, moderate stuff. The wind is light, cross-off, so it’ll be clean. Then the afternoon gets even better: 7 ft, same direction, and the energy jumps to an impressive 1640. That’s strong, powerful stuff. The wind is offshore, the waves have shape, and it’s going to be firing. This is the pick of the entire forecast. The 13-second period is a proper groundswell, so expect some nice lines, especially holding shape at the point.

The swell settles a little into Tuesday the 28th, but it’s still pumping. The morning is a clean 6 ft (938 energy), and the afternoon is a very clean 5 ft (803 energy), both with the same ESE groundswell. The wind stays light and offshore, so the quality will be there.

We do get a bit of a weird one on Tuesday the 4th of August. A massive 12 ft swell from the NW shows up, but the period is a short, choppy 8 seconds. The wave energy is enormous (1907 and 2392), but it’s too big and too raw for most of us. The forecast even says it’s too big for the break. This one is for the big-wave chargers only, or maybe look at it for a kite session. It’s a beast, but not a friendly one.

So, to wrap it up: the first week and a half is a total bust. The only real surfing window is from Monday the 27th through to the end of the month. The morning of the 27th is the absolute standout – clean, solid, and with that long-period goodness. Get on it.

Rusty out.

Read more