Waihee Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s happening with the surf. Straight up, I gotta be honest with you – this is a tough stretch. The whole 16-day window is looking pretty grim, with barely a moment that’s worth paddling out for. The onshore winds are relentless, and the swell just isn’t lining up with the break.

We’re looking at Waihee, a reef and point set-up that’s fairly consistent. The water temp is sitting at 79°, which is a pretty normal 0.4° anomaly for this time of year, so nothing weird going on there.

The first recommendation doesn’t come until the very end of the run, but let’s walk through the pain first. From Friday the 17th of July all the way through to Saturday the 25th of July, it’s just poor surf conditions. The wind is a constant cross-onshore, mostly from the ENE at 12 to 16 mph, and the swell is short-period, weak, and messy. The combined energy is scraping the bottom of the barrel, with values like 230 and 344 (weak energy). It’s just not worth getting wet.

We get a slight bump in swell size around the 25th and 26th, with the swell hitting 6 ft, but the period is still poor and the wind is still cross-onshore. The energy picks up a bit on the 26th of July with a 3 ft swell from the east, but that period jumps to 17 seconds and energy hits 964 (moderate). However, the wind is still onshore, so it’s going to be a lumpy mess. That long period (over 15 seconds) is a proper groundswell, but with the wind and the cross-onshore angle, it’s going to break straight and won’t hold its shape well at a beach setup – this is more of a kite-surfing kind of day.

Now, the one standout, and it’s a long way off. On Monday the 27th of July, the swell gets real. We’re talking 6 ft to 7 ft from the east, with a long 16-second period. The combined energy jumps to 2021 and 2456 (strong to very strong wave energy). That’s a lot of water moving. But here’s the kicker – the wind is still a stiff cross-onshore at 12 mph. The report calls it “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions,” and honestly, with that size and a long period, this is a big, powerful, lumpy swell. It’s going to be too big for beginners (over 5 ft) and pushing into expert-only territory. The cross-onshore wind is going to chop it up bad. This is less a surf session and more a watch-from-the-cliff situation.

The 28th of July is similar, with an 8 ft swell from the ENE, 14-second period, and energy at 2702 (very strong wave energy). Again, expert-only, and the wind is still cross-onshore. The 29th of July sees a 7 ft swell from the ENE with a 12-second period, and energy at 1294 (strong), but the wind eases to a gentle breeze at 9 mph. That’s the best window we get, but it’s still cross-onshore and “fairly choppy.”

Honestly, there’s no clean glassy window, no true standout. The end of July and into August 1st has a tiny 2 ft swell from the east with a 15-second period, but the energy is weak (269) and the wind is light onshore. It’s a marginal call.

So, the bottom line: there are no good surf options in this 16-day window. The wind is our enemy, and the swell, when it’s big, is too raw and rough. For an area like this, a blank run is more normal than you’d hope, but it tends not to stay poor for long. Keep an eye on the forecasts, because things can change.

Stay patient, and don't waste the petrol.

Rusty.

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