Te Awanga Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – it’s been a bit of a flat spell at Te Awanga. The next week of the 16-day window is pretty thin on the ground, so we’ve got a bit of a wait ahead. There’s a solid run of nothing much until we finally see something worth paddling out for.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Saturday the 29th of August. A clean, glassy morning with a small 3ft swell from the S, swinging to 3ft in the afternoon. This is a long-period groundswell at 11 seconds, which will put some shape into the waves but can make them a bit fat on a beach setup. The energy is moderate (330), and with the wind glassing off or light ESE, it’ll be clean and small – alright for a cruise on the longboard, but not a standout.

The next day, Sunday the 30th, is a bit of a mix: morning has a cross-shore breeze and a weak 3ft NE swell (162), so it’s ordinary. The afternoon cleans up a bit with cross-off wind and a tiny 2ft NE swell (75). Not much to get excited about.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting, but you need to be experienced. Monday the 31st of August sees a massive jump in size: a 15ft S swell with 10-second period (3,721 combined energy) rolling in overnight. That’s a lot of juice. The wind is fresh offshore from the SSW, so the lineup will be clean, but this is a 15ft wave – way too big for beginners, and frankly, it’s pushing the limits for even experienced surfers at a point break. It’s a show, not a go. The afternoon drops to 12ft, still huge.

Tuesday the 1st of September brings it down to a more manageable 6ft from the S (459) with light offshore cross-off wind. Clean, decent energy, but the period is short at 8 seconds – so it’ll be a bit weak and crumbly. Still, a far cry from the day before.

The actual standout comes later in the forecast, so mark your calendar for Friday the 5th of September. Wait, no – Friday the 4th of September. That morning, Te Awanga looks set to fire. A 4ft S swell with a very long period of 13 seconds (504 moderate energy) and glassy conditions. That’s a clean, well-shaped wave with proper push. The wind is glassy calm in the morning, and with the swell coming from the S (which is not the optimum NE direction for this break, but the period is long enough to wrap in nicely), it should produce some fun, lined-up waves. The water temp is 53°F, which is about 3°F colder than average for this time of year – a bit nippy, so suit up.

For the rest, there’s a flash of decent energy on the morning of Tuesday the 8th of September: a 7ft S swell (1,111) with glassy offshore wind. It’s clean and powerful, but at 7ft, it’s getting into expert territory. The period is 11 seconds – good groundswell but could be a bit straight at the peak for a beach break setup.

Honestly, if you want my pick, don’t miss the morning of Saturday the 29th of August for a small, clean session to shake off the cobwebs, but the real winner is Friday the 4th of September morning. That’s the one with glassy conditions, very long-period swell, and clean, fun waves. Be there early, crowds are likely at this spot, but the quality will be worth it.

Rusty.

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