Tuhawaiki Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – this 16-day window for Tuhawaiki Point is a real slow burn. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing, then a few days that’ll get your heart rate up, before it fades back into the mundane. The water temp is sitting at 49°F right now, which is about average for the time of year, so don’t expect any tropical surprises.

We kick off on Tuesday, 14 July, but it’s a total write-off. You’re looking at a tiny 0.7ft easterly windswell with a short 9-second period, and the combined energy is a measly 10 (weak). The wind is a cross-offshore, but the waves are just too gutless to bother with. That same 0.7ft rubbish sticks around for Wednesday, 15 July, though we get a moment of glass in the afternoon – still, 0.7ft is 0.7ft, and a 27 combined energy (weak) says it all.

Thursday, 16 July, the morning shows a glimmer of hope. The swell bumps up to 1ft from the ESE with a 14-second period, and the wind is dead calm – glassy as a mirror. The combined energy is still only 71 (weak), so it’s surfable but very ordinary. The afternoon gets ruined by a cross-onshore breeze.

Now, Friday, 17 July, is where it starts to get interesting. The morning shows 2ft from the ESE with a long 16-second period, and a cross-offshore wind. The combined energy jumps to 372 (moderate), and the conditions are clean. The afternoon is even better: glassy, 3ft, same direction and period, and a combined energy of 393 (moderate). This is a solid, fun-sized point break wave, and the long period means it’ll have some shape and push. For a break that’s known to be inconsistent, this is a real treat.

The standout session of the whole run is Saturday, 18 July, morning. We’ve got a 3ft swell from the ESE with a 15-second period, a clean offshore wind from the WNW, and a combined energy of 628 (moderate to strong). This is the pick of the bunch – a proper groundswell hitting the point with that light offshore. It’s still approachable for an advanced surfer, but not too big for a confident intermediate. The afternoon goes to hell though, with a strong 30 km/h cross-shore wind that’ll chop it up. That morning is the one to chase.

Sunday, 19 July, and Monday, 20 July, mornings offer more clean, surfable waves in the 2ft to 2ft range, with combined energies around 279 to 354 (moderate). The winds are favourable, and the south-southeast swell on Monday has a nice 17-second period. These are good, consistent days for a point break, but not the standout of the 18th.

After Monday, things drop off. From Tuesday, 21 July, through to Sunday, 26 July, we’re back to 1.0ft to 2ft junk with weak combined energies, mostly under 200, and a lot of cross-onshore or poor conditions. There’s a brief blip on Saturday, 25 July, morning with a 1ft, 15-second ESE swell and a combined energy of 115 (weak), but it’s just surfable, nothing to get excited about.

The final days from 27 July to 29 July are more of the same – tiny, weak swells, mostly under 2ft, and combined energies that barely crack 100. The morning of 28 July shows a 2ft from the east with a 12-second period and a clean cross-offshore, but the energy is only 110 (weak). It’s a last gasp, but not a memory maker.

So, to wrap it up: the best bet is Saturday, 18 July, morning at Tuhawaiki Point. That 3ft ESE groundswell, with a 15-second period and a clean offshore wind, is your window. Friday, 17 July, afternoon is your second-best call, with that glassy 3ft. For the rest of the 16 days, you’re mostly waiting, and this spot is inconsistent, so a blank run like this isn’t unusual. Keep an eye on the forecasts, but for now, that Saturday morning is the one.

Rusty.

Read more