Te Awanga Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, Rusty here. Let's get into it for Te Awanga. This is a point break, exposed to the swell, and it’s a beginner-friendly spot that’s fairly consistent. The water is sitting at 55°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year.

We’re looking at a pretty wild ride over the next couple of weeks. The first few days are a write-off due to some solid but messy swell and strong winds, but then things clean up nicely. The standout windows are clear.

Wednesday afternoon kicks things off, but it’s a no-go. We’ve got a 7ft swell from the east with a 10-second period, but it’s cross-off with a 25 km/h wind and the combined energy is moderate at 937. The forecast calls it marginal, and I’d agree – not worth paddling out.

Thursday is a mess. Swell jumps to 18ft from the SSE with an 11-second period, but the wind is a near gale at 55 km/h. That’s a lot of energy (7631) but absolutely no quality for a paddle surfer. Maybe a kite day.

Friday is similar, but slightly smaller. 13ft on the morning from the SE at 10 seconds, still a fresh breeze at 35 km/h cross-off. The energy is strong (3135), but the swell is just too big for this beginner-friendly break. Afternoon drops to 10ft, but same story.

Now, Saturday the 11th of July is where it gets interesting. The morning brings a 8ft swell from the SE at 10 seconds, and we have offshore wind from the SW at 20 km/h. The combined energy is moderate (1172). Conditions are excellent for experienced surfers. This is one of the best windows. The point will be handling that SE swell nicely with clean faces.

The afternoon is also very good, with a 6ft swell from the ESE, a gentle breeze, and solid shape.

Sunday morning the 12th of July is still a good option. 5ft from the ESE at 9 seconds, light wind, good conditions. The energy drops to 370, but it’s clean. By the afternoon, the wind swings onshore and it turns poor.

Then we hit a gap. Monday the 13th through Tuesday the 15th of July is small, with waves around 2ft to 4ft, mostly poor or marginal. A glassy spell on Tuesday afternoon with 2ft is surfable but very ordinary. The energy is weak (71). Not worth the trip.

The next real highlight is Thursday the 16th of July. Morning offers a 7ft swell from the ESE with a very long 14-second period, cross-off light breeze, and moderate energy (1848). This is excellent for experienced surfers. The afternoon is glassy with the same 7ft swell – that is about as clean as it gets. The long-period groundswell will pour into the point, giving some proper lines.

Friday the 17th is marginal with similar sized swell (6ft) but cross-onshore wind.

Saturday the 18th of July morning is another standout. Offshore wind from the SW at 25 km/h, a 6ft swell from the ESE at a long 14 seconds, and moderate energy (1658). Clean and punchy for the experienced crew.

Sunday the 19th of July morning has a 7ft swell from the SSE, offshore wind, and good energy (2245). Excellent again.

Monday the 20th is also excellent in the morning, with a 8ft swell from the SSE, light offshore wind and clean.

Then from Tuesday the 21st of July right through to the end of the period (Thursday the 23rd), the swell gets too big for this break, pushing 10ft to 12ft from the SSE/SE. The wind is off or glassy, with moderate to strong energy (2670 to 3700), but it’s simply too much for Te Awanga. The forecast says wind and tide are favorable, but the size is the problem. Not a beginner spot then.

So, bottom line: Save your energy for Saturday the 11th of July morning and the Thursday the 16th of July afternoon – those are your best bets for clean, powerful waves.

Rusty.

Read more