Tuhawaiki Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab a coffee and let me talk you through what’s shaping up here at Tuhawaiki Point. I’ve got to be straight with you – the first half of this run is a tough watch.

The outlook starts on Monday, September 7, but don’t get your hopes up just yet. For the first few days, it’s a whole lot of nothing. We’ve got tiny swell, mostly under 1 ft, coming from the SSE and ENE with weak, short-period energy (combined energy values in the low teens to 20s). That’s barely a ripple. The wind is all over the place, but there’s nothing to ride.

We finally see a pulse of energy hit on Thursday, September 10, with the swell bumping up to 4 ft from the south. That combined energy jumps to 150 (moderate), but the wind is a messy cross-shore with light rain. It’s still poor. Later that day, we get a weird one: a very long-period SSE swell at 19 seconds, but it’s only 0.7 ft. That’s a tease – classic groundswell energy (65) that just doesn’t have any height. The next day, Friday, September 11, is similar: tiny waves (1.0-1 ft) with those long periods (17-18 seconds), but the combined energy stays weak (96). The wind is clean and cross-offshore though, so it’s frustratingly clean but tiny.

Now, here’s the standout. If you can wait, Saturday, September 12 is the day to circle on the calendar. The morning is where it’s at. The swell jumps to 5 ft from the SSE with a very long period of 16 seconds. The combined energy hits 997 (strong). The wind is light from the NNW, giving us a cross-offshore breeze and glassy, clean conditions. That’s proper groundswell with good shape, and the energy is there. It’s going to be quality, but be aware that the long period means it might break a bit straight on the beach – but at a point break like Tuhawaiki Point, this will set up nicely. The afternoon is tricky with an onshore wind, so hit the morning.

Sunday, September 13 is another good one, but a step down. Morning again is your friend: 4 ft from the SE with a period of 13 seconds, moderate combined energy (615), and glassy cross-offshore wind. That’s clean, fun waves, but not quite the punch of Saturday.

After that, the surf fades fast. The swell drops back under 3 ft through the second week, and the energy falls off a cliff (down to the 30s and 100s). There are some clean, offshore days (September 14, 20, 21) but the waves are too small to get excited about. The later part of the run – from September 17 onward – is mostly poor with strong, messy winds and tiny swell.

Water temperature is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual.

So, to keep it simple: the whole first week is a write-off. Saturday, September 12 morning is your best bet – that’s the one with size, power, and clean conditions. Sunday morning is the solid backup. After that, it’s a long wait.

This is Rusty, signing off.

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