Te Ikaamaru Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a genuine look at what’s on the cards for Te Ikaamaru Bay over the next couple of weeks. This is not a place known for pumping surf, and unfortunately, this stretch ahead lives up to that reputation. We’re looking at a long, bleak block of time with no real quality on offer. This isn’t one of those runs where things turn around quickly; this region can go through blank spells like this when the weather patterns lock in, and we’re in the thick of it now. The water temp is sitting at 54°, which is pretty much what you’d expect for the time of year, nothing out of the ordinary there.

The outlook starts off on Tuesday the 25th of August with a messy 5 ft swell from the NW, but a stiff 22 mph onshore wind is ruining it. The next few days just get worse. Wednesday the 26th sees the wind howling from the NW at 28 mph, pushing a bumpy 6 ft NW swell, and the wave energy is moderate at 216, but the surf is blown right out. Thursday the 27th has a brief moment of clean, glassy conditions, but with a tiny 0.7 ft to 1.0 ft swell, you’d struggle to get wet.

Then the wind really cranks. Friday the 28th sees a 7 ft to 10 ft NW swell, but wind speeds are hitting 34-37 mph, turning the bay into a washing machine. The combined energy spikes hard – 308 then 982 – but with near-gale cross-onshore winds, this is more of a kiteboarder’s playground than a paddle surfer’s dream. The rest of the first week and into early September is dominated by onshore or cross-onshore winds from the NW and N. Swell heights bobble between 3 ft and 6 ft, but the period is short and wind-ruined each time. There are a few clean spells later on, around Sunday the 31st of August and into the first week of September, with cross-offshore winds from the S and SSE, but the swell is tiny, often below 2 ft, and the period is a very long 15 seconds – that long period groundswell will make for weak, straight waves at this beachy break, not worth the paddle.

The second week offers no relief. Swell bumps up to 6 ft to 7 ft around Sunday the 6th of September with moderate cross-onshore winds, but it’s choppy and lumpy. The very end of the run, from the 7th through the 9th, is the worst of it: long-period NW swells of 0.3 ft to 6 ft, smashed by near-gale cross-onshore winds. It’s messy, blown out, and frustrating. There are simply no standout sessions in this 16-day window. The forecast can always shift, but for now, leave the board in the car. This is one of those quiet runs that’s more typical than rare for this spot.

Rusty.

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