Te Ikaamaru Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Te Ikaamaru Bay over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, I’m looking at a pretty grim run of surf for the next sixteen days. The water is sitting at 57°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but don’t let that fool you – the surf is going to be a struggle. We’ve got a big gap of no good surf right from the start.

The first few days, from the 2nd of September through to the 10th, are a total write-off. The wind is howling out of the NNW and NW at 28 mph to 34 mph, with the combined swell energy still moderate to strong (301 to 963), but it’s all onshore, messy, and the wave comment is “poor surf conditions.” The swell is a short-period 6 to 8 seconds, so it’s just lumpy, wind-affected junk. Friday the 4th gets up to 10 ft, but with a near gale on it, that’s only for the hardcore or the kite crew. The beach-and-reef setup here looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing during that blow.

There’s a brief window on the 10th of September, Thursday afternoon. We get a bit of a drop in the wind, a gentle breeze from the south at 9 mph, with a clean cross-offshore wind. The swell is 7 ft from the NW at 7 seconds, with combined energy of 393 – moderate. It’s only rated as “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions,” so not a standout, but it’s the first thing that’s even close to rideable. Not worth getting too excited about.

Then, on the 11th of September, Friday morning, we get a real oddity. The wind drops to a glassy 3 mph from the SSE. The swell is tiny though, only 1 ft from the NW, but the period is a massive 20 seconds – that’s a very long-period groundswell. The combined energy is weak (152). It’s glassy, and the wave comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” A 20-second period at a beach break can be a bit too straight, but if you’re patient, you might snag a clean little one. It’s the only time the word “glassy” appears. For a beginner, this is safe due to the size, but it’s not going to be thrilling.

After that, from the 12th of September onwards, it’s back to poor surf conditions. The 14th of September, Monday afternoon, shows a bit of promise with a 8 ft NW swell at 7 seconds, and a fresh offshore breeze from the SSE (19 mph). The combined energy is strong (689), and the wave comment is “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions.” The call is “fresh offshore and clean,” but 8 ft is getting into expert-only territory, especially for a beginner-friendly spot. That’s about as good as it gets, but it’s still a long way off and not a true standout.

The rest of the run into the 17th of September is just more of the same – onshore winds, blown-out conditions, and small or messy swell. There’s a big gap of poor surf in the first week, then a few fleeting moments that are barely surfable. The consistent poor conditions mean this blank run is a bit normal for the area when the wind is wrong.

Look, there’s no real standout here. If you’re desperate, the glassy morning on the 11th is your best bet for a safe, clean paddle, but it’s tiny. The offshore blast on the 14th is the biggest, cleanest swell, but it’s for experts only. For the rest of us, maybe it’s a good time to check the tides and wait for the next forecast.

Rusty.

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