Waimarama Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for our stretch of coast. The forecast is a bit of a mixed bag, but there’s some real firepower coming if you’ve got the skills and the patience.

We’re looking at a solid run of surf starting Tuesday the 28th of July, but it kicks off with a serious size. Tuesday morning at Waimarama is packing a 7.9ft swell from the southeast, with a 13-second period. That’s a lot of energy and the wind is a gentle offshore from the southwest, so it’ll be clean. This is proper grunt though – over 8ft, so this is expert territory only. It’s a beach and reef setup, and with that much power, it’ll be a handful. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

Tuesday afternoon holds at 7.2ft from the east-southeast, still clean with a cross-off breeze. The energy is still high. This is the standout for the first few days, but again, not for the faint-hearted.

Wednesday the 29th drops off a touch. Morning sees a 6.2ft swell from the east-southeast, but the wind is a cross-shore from the northwest, creating a bit of crinkle on the face. It’s surfable but not special. The afternoon goes onshore and the quality drops right away.

Thursday the 30th is a write-off. The swell is dropping and the wind is all wrong. Friday the 31st is even worse – small, choppy, and messy. The first week of August starts off weak too. Saturday the 1st has a tiny 2ft swell with a long 16-second period, but the wind is strong offshore, making it clean but essentially flat. Not worth a paddle.

Now, hold on to your wetsuit. Sunday the 2nd of August fires up again. The morning has a 9.8ft swell from the south, with a 12-second period and a fresh offshore wind. The energy is through the roof. This is massive, and it’s labelled as marginal due to the size. It’s too big for this break for most, but if you’re an absolute charger, it’s on. The afternoon is still huge at 9.8ft, but the wind picks up to 22 mph, making it a bit wild.

Monday the 3rd is a better bet for the strong paddler. The swell drops to a still-chunky 7.2ft from the south-southeast, with a moderate offshore wind. The energy is still strong. The afternoon cleans up nicely with a light cross-off breeze and 6.6ft swell. Good, solid, clean surf.

Tuesday the 4th is a weird one. The morning has a 3.9ft swell from the south with a very long 18-second period, but the wind is cross-shore. That long period means the sets will be fat and slow at a beach break, but it’s clean in the afternoon with a cross-off breeze and a 16-second period. Worth a look if you’re patient.

Wednesday the 5th is average. A 5.6ft swell from the south-southwest with a short, weak 7-second period and a moderate offshore wind. It’ll be a bit bumpy and weak.

Now, here’s the big one, but it’s a warning. Thursday the 6th of August has a massive 11.5ft swell from the south, with a 11-second period, and the wind is light offshore. The energy is colossal. The forecast says it’s too big for this break. If you’re not a pro, stay out of the water. This is a kite surfer’s dream, not a paddle surfer’s.

Friday the 7th is much more manageable. The swell drops to 7.2ft from the south, with a light offshore wind and excellent conditions for experienced surfers. The energy is strong. This is the best day of the whole run for the experienced crew. Clean, powerful, and with a bit of grunt.

Saturday the 8th eases off to 5.2-5.9ft, with a moderate offshore wind. It’s okay, nothing special.

Sunday the 9th is a standout for the longboard or the more forgiving surfer. The morning has a 6.9ft swell from the south with a very long 15-second period, and the wind is barely a breath from the west-northwest. It’ll be glassy. The energy is high. The long period will make it a bit straight at the beach, but it’ll be clean and powerful. The afternoon goes onshore, so morning is the call.

The second week fades out. Monday the 10th has a clean 4.9ft swell, Tuesday the 11th is tiny, and Wednesday the 12th offers a last gasp of 5.2ft from the northeast with a short 6-second period, but it’s clean. Not much to write home about.

So, the real standouts are Tuesday the 6th of August if you’re a pro and have a death wish, but for the rest of us, Friday the 7th of August is the pick: 7.2ft south swell, light offshore, clean and powerful. Sunday the

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