Tuhawaiki Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – for the next couple of weeks around Tuhawaiki Point, it’s mostly a waiting game. There’s no standout swell on the horizon, and the conditions are going to be pretty hit-and-miss. We’ve got a long stretch of ordinary surf ahead, with a few tiny windows that might just be worth a paddle if you’re desperate. The water temperature is sitting at 50°F, which is about 2°F warmer than the long-term average for this time of year – a bit of a surprise, but you’ll still want a thick wetsuit.

The first real chance of anything decent doesn’t show up until the morning of Thursday the 6th of August. We’ve got a small 3ft SE swell rolling in, with a period of 9 seconds and a light NW cross-off breeze. The combined energy is weak at 205, so it’s not going to be powerful, but it’ll be clean. Not a standout, but a rare moment of surfable conditions.

After that, it’s a long, quiet stretch. From Thursday afternoon right through to the morning of Wednesday the 12th of August, the surf is either tiny, onshore, or just plain poor. You’ll see a few 1ft to 2ft waves, but the winds are mostly cross or cross-on, and the swell energy is low – mostly under 100. The morning of Saturday the 8th of August has a brief moment of glassy conditions with a 1ft SE swell, but it’s barely worth a mention.

The next flicker of hope comes on the morning of Wednesday the 12th of August. A 3ft E swell with an 8-second period and a light NNW cross-off breeze gives us clean waves. The energy is moderate at 128, so there’s a bit more push, but it’s still ordinary. The afternoon sees a slightly bigger 4ft E swell, but the wind goes cross-shore and it’s marked as marginal.

Fast forward to the afternoon of Monday the 17th of August – and this is the best on offer in the whole outlook. We’ve got a 5ft SSE swell with an 11-second period, glassy conditions with a light SW wind, and the combined energy jumps to 518 – that’s moderate wave energy and a real step up. The swell is coming from the SSE, which is close to the optimum ENE direction for Tuhawaiki Point. It’s a point break, so a longer-period swell like this will wrap in nicely, and the glassy conditions will make it clean. This is the one to circle – but it’s still over a week away, so keep an eye on the forecast.

The run continues into the morning of Tuesday the 18th of August with a 5ft SE swell, a 12-second period, and a light NNW cross-off breeze. The energy is strong at 723, and the conditions are clean. This is another solid option, but again, it’s a long-range call. The afternoon of the 18th drops off with 5ft SE swell but onshore east winds, so not as good.

The morning of Wednesday the 19th of August offers a final small window of glassy conditions with a 3ft SE swell and 202 energy – decent, but nothing special.

Apart from that Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning, the rest of the 16 days is pretty flat or messy. If you’re a beginner, the swells that do show up are small enough – mostly under 5ft – but the consistency is poor, and the wind often ruins it. For experienced surfers, the 5ft to 5ft swells on the 17th and 18th are worth a look, but don’t expect long sessions.

Rusty.

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