Waimarama Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up at Waimarama.

First off, the water temp is sitting right about where you’d expect for this time of year – nothing unusual there. The problem is the next few days are a write-off. We’ve got a solid gap from now until early Friday morning with no surf worth chasing. Onshore winds and messy conditions are keeping things flat and ugly.

Friday morning finally shows a pulse, but it’s a marginal one. The swell is 5 ft from the ENE, period is a short 6 seconds, so it’s weak and won’t hold shape. The cross-onshore wind doesn’t help. This is more of a hopeful paddle than a real session.

Saturday morning is where it starts to get interesting. A glassy morning with some clouds, 6 ft of east swell rolling in at 8 seconds. The combined energy is moderate (402) and the conditions are clean. This is a solid window for the beginner-friendly setup at Waimarama – just be aware that crowds can show up here sometimes.

Sunday through Tuesday morning gets a bit wild. Sunday morning has an 8 ft south swell, but a near gale-force SSW wind at 31 mph is blowing offshore, making it nearly impossible to paddle into. That afternoon the wind shifts cross-offshore and the surf cleans up, but it’s still big and beefy. Monday afternoon sees the wind going offshore again with 7 ft south swell and moderate energy (761), and the conditions are clean – that’s a good session for experienced surfers.

Now, the standout. Tuesday morning, 18 August, is the real pick. You’ve got 6 ft of SSW groundswell with a long 13-second period, moderate offshore wind, and the combined energy is pumping at 1545. This is excellent surf for experienced crew – the swell direction is a perfect match for the break, and the conditions will be clean and powerful.

But then Wednesday, 19 August, is a beast. A 20 ft south swell with a 16-second period – that’s a massive, very long-period groundswell. The combined energy is off the charts at 26767. The wind is offshore and clean, but this is way too big for Waimarama. That’s expert-only territory, and even then, it’s likely to be a closeout at this beach-and-reef setup. Thursday stays oversized at 12 ft, still too big for most.

We finally drop back into a more manageable size on Friday, 21 August. The morning has 7 ft of south swell at 11 seconds, light cross-offshore wind, and clean conditions. The combined energy is strong (1364) and the swell direction is good – this is another top session for experienced surfers.

The weekend after that (22-23 August) sees the swell easing to 6-6 ft from the SSE, but the wind is cross-shore, creating ripples. It’s marginal – worth a look if you’re keen, but not a standout.

From Monday, 24 August, onward, the swell fades. By Wednesday, 26 August, we’re down to 2 ft, and the energy is weak (238). Thursday morning, 27 August, has a tiny 2 ft SE swell and clean conditions, but it’s barely surfable.

So, the real action is Tuesday morning, 18 August, for the best of the best. Friday morning, 21 August, is a strong runner-up. Saturday morning, 15 August, is a good option for the beginners when it’s glassy.

Rusty.

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