Waihee Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s ahead for Waihee. I gotta be straight with you – this one is a tough stretch. The forecast makes for grim reading for a wave rider, and I’m not seeing any real standouts to get excited about. The first few days are a write-off, and it’s a long wait before things even look remotely interesting. We’re looking at a solid 16-day window, but the first real surf worth talking about doesn’t show up until late in the piece.

The first recommendation isn’t until the morning of the 28th of July, and even then, it’s a marginal call. Up until that point, from the 24th right through the 27th, it’s all poor surf conditions. We’re talking cross-onshore winds, choppy, lumpy, and just messy. The wind is blowing from the ENE and NE, which is cross-on at this spot, and it’s ruining what little swell there is. The swell energy is moderate at best, with values like 352 and 427 (moderate), but it’s just not clean. For a reef and point setup like Waihee, it’s a real shame.

Now, by the 28th of July, Tuesday morning, things start to shift. The swell picks up to 8 ft from the east with a 13 second period (a nice groundswell), and the combined energy jumps right up to 2156 (strong). The wind is finally onshore, which is a big improvement. The morning is a bit of a gamble though – it’s a marginal forecast with a risk of thunderstorms. The afternoon looks better with some clouds and the swell jumping to 10 ft from the ENE. That’s a big, powerful swell (energy reading 3118 – very strong), but 10 ft is expert territory. It’s a long period swell (13 seconds) which means it’ll have good shape and energy, but it can be a bit tricky. The winds are from the NNE at 12 mph, which is onshore, so it might be clean. This is the closest we get to a standout, but it’s for experts only, and the conditions are still marginal.

The 29th of July, Wednesday, sees the swell drop a bit. Morning has 7 ft from the NE with a 10 second period, and the wind is a light cross-on from the north. Combined energy is 786 (moderate). The afternoon drops to 5 ft from the ENE with a 9 second period, and the wind goes light cross-shore. It’s still marginal, and the quality is questionable.

After that, we’re back to poor conditions. From the 30th of July through to the 5th of August, it’s the same old story: cross-onshore winds, choppy, poor surf. The swell is there, but it’s a mess. The combined energy values are moderate, but the wind is the killer. The 2nd of August has a nice long period swell of 16-17 seconds from the east, with energy readings of 817 and 878 (moderate), but it’s all cross-on with the ENE wind. It’s a real shame because that long period groundswell would be perfect for a point break like Waihee, but it’s blown out.

The last chance we get is the 4th of August, Tuesday morning. There’s a 5 ft swell from the ENE with a 13 second period, and the wind is a gentle cross-on from the ENE. The combined energy is 812 (moderate). It’s still marginal. The rest of the week is a write-off.

So, the best of a bad bunch is the 28th of July, with that big, powerful groundswell. But it’s for experts only, and the conditions are not perfect. There’s no real standout session for the average punter. The water temperature here is 80°F with a +0.5°F anomaly, which is about average for this time of year. The optimum swell direction for Waihee is NNE, but we’re mostly getting east and ENE swells, which is not ideal for this spot.

Honestly, for the next two weeks, if you’re a paddle surfer, you might want to take a break. The setup looks more interesting for the kite surfers with all that cross-onshore wind. It’s going to be a long, frustrating wait. The forecasts can change, but right now, I’d be looking for a different hobby for a while.

Rusty.

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