Tuhawaiki Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Rightio, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Tuhawaiki Point.

The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got a few windows of clean, offshore conditions, but the swell energy is going to jump around a fair bit. There’s a notable run of very ordinary days to kick things off before we see some proper action mid-week.

Saturday the 29th starts off glassy in the morning with a light NW breeze – that’s a rare treat. The swell is tiny at 1 ft from the SE, with a period of 10 seconds, so it’s more about the vibe than the ride. Combined swell energy is weak (50). Still, that glassy morning will feel special if you’re out there on a log.

Sunday the 30th is a write-off. Another glassy morning, but the swell drops to 0.7 ft – not enough to push a duck. The afternoon gets messy with a strong SW change.

Monday the 31st shows a slight tick up. Morning is cross-off with 2 ft SE swell, but it’s still ordinary. The afternoon, however, sees a clean offshore breeze (W 15 km/h) and the same 2 ft SE swell with a 12-second period. Combined energy climbs to 228 (moderate). That afternoon session on Monday will be the first real chance for a few fun ones, but don’t expect barrels – just clean, lined-up waves for a point break.

Tuesday the 1st of September offers a bit more size (3 to 4 ft) but it’s cross-off and the conditions are described as marginal. Not the best.

Now, here’s the standout: Wednesday the 2nd of September morning. We’ve got 4 ft SE swell with a long 16-second period, combined energy of 661 (strong), and a gentle NW cross-off breeze. That’s proper groundswell energy, and for a point break like Tuhawaiki Point, that long period will wrap in nicely. The water temp is 50°, about 3° warmer than normal – a touch warmer than usual for late winter, so the sting is a bit less. This is your best window. Clean, solid, and the swell direction (SE) matches the optimum direction (ENE) reasonably well for exposure. It’s not huge, but it’s quality.

After that, it fades again. Thursday the 3rd drops to 2 ft, and from Friday the 4th through to Tuesday the 9th of September, we’re mostly in the doldrums with tiny, weak swells and poor conditions. There’s a blip on Tuesday the 8th with 3 ft E swell (9 sec period, combined energy 155) but it’s cross-shore and the models aren’t excited about it.

Then on Thursday the 10th of September, things ramp up again. The morning shows 6 ft SE swell with a 12-second period and combined energy of 833 (strong to very strong). However, the wind is a moderate cross-off from the SSW at 20 km/h. That’s a solid, powerful swell, but at 6 ft it’s getting into the zone where it’s better for experienced surfers. Afternoon holds at 5 ft. It’s not perfect due to the breeze, but there will be plenty of push. This is the other standout – a strong, punchy SE groundswell hitting that point. If you’re confident on a bigger board, this is worth a look.

After that, the wind turns messy for the final few days, with onshore conditions on the 13th of September bringing 5 ft from the SSE but poor quality. Not worth the effort.

Overall, the pick of the 16 days is Wednesday morning 2 September for clean, long-period fun, and Thursday 10 September for raw power. The long gaps between quality days are typical for this part of the world.

- Rusty

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