Waimarama Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, and I'm looking at the charts for this next stretch. We've got one spot on the radar, and it's gonna be a wild ride.

Right off the bat, we've got a bit of a wait. There's nothing worth paddling out for until Monday the 27th of July. That's when things kick off at Waimarama, a beach and reef setup that's fairly exposed to the swell. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing to write home about.

Monday morning, the 27th, has a clean 5 ft swell from the ESE rolling in with a 13-second period, meaning real groundswell energy. The wind is a cross-offshore breeze, so the faces should be tidy. It's building through the afternoon, hitting 5 ft with a clean offshore wind from the SSW. This is where it starts to get good for the experienced surfer. The combined energy is pumping in the moderate range (1392), and it's setting up for some solid, lined-up waves.

The real standout, the one you want to circle on your calendar, is Tuesday morning, the 28th of July. We're looking at a solid 8 ft swell from the SE, still that lovely 13-second period, and the wind is a clean offshore from the SW. The water will be glassy and the waves will be powerful. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. For the average punter, this is pushing the limits of what's manageable, so leave this one to the guys who know what they're doing. The combined energy is strong at 2019, and you can bet there will be some memorable rides.

Tuesday afternoon stays solid at 8 ft, but the wind shifts to a cross-offshore, which is still clean but not as perfect as the morning glass.

Thursday the 30th is a write-off. The swell drops and the wind turns onshore, making a mess of things. From there, we slide into a quiet patch with small, weak swell through the end of July. Friday the 31st is barely worth a mention.

Then, a surprise on Saturday, August 1st. We get a sudden jump to 8 ft from the S, but the period is a short and weak 6 seconds. The morning is glassy though! It's a weird one. The afternoon gets interesting, jumping to a serious 10 ft from the S with a 9-second period and an offshore wind. That's a big, powerful wave for the experts. But the real story is the following day.

Sunday, August 2nd, is absolute mayhem. A massive 15 ft to 20 ft swell from the SSW/S hits, but it's accompanied by a screaming near-gale force wind of 34 mph. The combined energy is off the charts (9661 and 11671), but the wind will make it unsurfable for paddle surfing. For the kite crew, this could be a dream come true.

Monday and Tuesday, August 3rd and 4th, still have colossal swell (13 ft to 15 ft) with fresh breezes. The predictor flags these as "too big for this break", and I agree. The sets will be washing clean over the reef. Only the absolute fringe of experts with big-wave gear should even consider it.

Things start to settle down a bit by Wednesday, August 5th, with a more manageable 7 ft swell from the SE and light winds. It's clean, but it's not the standout.

The second week, from August 6th onward, is a slow fade. The swell drops right off, with small 1 ft to 3 ft waves and onshore winds. Thursday the 6th and Friday the 7th are poor. We get a little blip on Saturday the 8th with a glassy 5 ft swell from the SE, but the period is a short 7 seconds. It'll be fun on a longboard, but nothing to get excited about.

Sunday the 9th offers a promise of a 10 ft swell from the E, but the period is still short (8 seconds) and the winds are onshore, making it a messy, blown-out affair. The following days are also too big for the break.

So, to sum it up: the best windows are Tuesday morning, July 28th, for that perfect, powerful, clean groundswell, and if you're an expert, the early part of the following week (August 1st-3rd) offers some serious big-wave potential, but you'll be dodging some heavy wind and massive sets. After that, it's a waiting game for the next pulse.

- Rusty

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