Te Araroa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Te Araroa. The next couple of weeks are a real mixed bag, with a big fat gap of flat or poor conditions to start, then a bit of a pulse later on that’s got some potential but also some serious size to deal with. No real standout on the horizon, but there’s a couple of windows worth paddling for.

We’re looking at Te Araroa, a beach and point setup that’s consistent and exposed to the swell. The water temp’s around 59°F, which is about average for this time of year – nothing out of the ordinary there.

Now, from Wednesday the 19th right through to the 29th of August, it’s pretty grim. The first few days, from the 19th to the 21st, there’s a little bit of swell but it’s so small or messy it’s not worth a look. Thursday the 20th has a 5ft SE swell, period of 9 seconds, and light offshore winds, which gives it a clean look, but the combined energy is moderate (423). It’s just not enough to get excited about. Friday the 21st has a glassy 3ft SE swell, period 8 seconds, but the energy is weak (138). It’s surfable, but very ordinary. Then from the 22nd onwards, it’s a dead zone – swell drops to 1.0ft–2ft, messy cross-shore winds, and combined energy barely registers (35–51). That’s a solid 8-day stretch of nothing burger.

The first real sign of life comes Sunday the 30th of August. The morning has a 2ft NE swell, 10-second period, with light cross-offshore winds, giving clean but small waves. Then Sunday afternoon is the pick of the early window: glassy conditions, 3ft NE swell with a 11-second period (a nice groundswell), and the combined energy jumps to 280 (moderate). The wind is dead calm, so it’ll be glassy clean. That’s a fun little session if you’re keen for a gentle paddle.

Monday the 31st gets a bit messier. The morning has a 3ft NE swell, 11-second period, but cross-offshore winds and rain. The energy is moderate (319), but the conditions are marginal. By Monday afternoon, it’s 7ft NNW swell, period 6 seconds, with a strong cross-offshore breeze – that’s a bit of a cleanup job, and the energy is strong (674), but it’s not gonna be pretty.

Now, Tuesday the 1st of September – that’s where things get serious. The morning has a massive 12ft NW swell, 9-second period, with cross-offshore winds. The combined energy is very strong (2195). That’s expert territory only, and at a beach and point, that kind of size with a short period is gonna be a washing machine. It’s too big for beginners and most intermediates. The afternoon drops to 8ft NNW swell, but the wind is up to 28 mph – again, for experts only. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

After that, Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd of September see a drop in size. Wednesday morning has 5ft NW swell, 8-second period, but the wind is 31 mph – that’s a near gale, so it’s a no-go. Wednesday afternoon has a 3ft NE swell, 9-second period, and strong offshore winds, but it’s clean and hard to paddle into. Thursday the 3rd has 2ft NE swell, 10-second period, with fresh offshore winds – clean but small. The combined energy is weak to moderate (200 and 152).

So, bottom line: the best on offer is Sunday the 30th of August, afternoon session – glassy, 3ft NE groundswell, clean. That’s a good one for a quiet, fun surf. The other possible standout is Thursday the 3rd of September morning, with 2ft NE swell and fresh offshore winds, but it’s tiny. The big Tuesday the 1st is only for the brave (or the kites). Everything else is a write-off.

Rusty.

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