Waimarama Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here.

Let’s be straight with you—this 16-day run is a real mixed bag. We’ve got a proper window of quality surf on the way, but you’re gonna have to pick your moments and be patient through the slop. The first real standout is a gem, and there’s a solid pulse right at the end of the window that could reward the crew willing to wait.

Waimarama kicks things off on the morning of Friday, August 7th. It’s a beach-and-reef setup, and it’s fairly exposed, so it grabs a bit of everything. Water temps are sitting at 54°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want the hood and booties. The morning session sees a 4.6ft southerly swell rolling in with a long 16-second period, and the wind is a light cross-offshore from the WNW. It’s clean, it’s glassy, and there’s plenty of energy in the water (1697). The swell is a bit strong for the beginners—around the 5ft mark, it starts getting proper—but for the experienced crew, this is firing. Crowds are sometimes a thing here, so you might have to share, but that’s the price for a wave this good.

The afternoon of that same day gets a bit more size at 6.9ft, but the wind swings onshore from the ENE, making it a bit messier. You can skip that.

Saturday morning, August 8th, is still worth a paddle. The swell drops slightly to 5.6ft from the south, with a 12-second period. The WNW cross-offshore is back, keeping it clean. Energy is solid (963). It’s a good, fun Saturday morning surf. The afternoon turns onshore again, so get it done early.

Sunday, August 9th, is a write-off. Strong cross-onshore winds from the north and a dropping swell. Leave the board in the car.

The early part of next week, Monday the 10th through Wednesday the 12th, is pretty ordinary. Small, weak swell—just 2.6ft to 4.6ft—with some clean but tiny moments on the morning of the 11th. The wind is light offshore, but there’s just not enough push. Wednesday sees a burst of NE windswell at 5.9ft, but the period is a short 6 seconds and the wind is onshore, making it a complete mess. Not worth your time.

Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th stay pretty poor. The swell direction turns easterly, but it’s weak and short-period, with onshore winds. Just a flat, choppy mess. There’s a gap of a few days here where there’s nothing on offer—stick to the foamy or go for a surfskate.

Now, things start to look interesting again. On Sunday morning, August 16th, a bigger southerly swell arrives. The morning shows 7.5ft of south swell with clean, light WNW cross-offshore winds. It’s a proper push, and the energy is high (1441). But the afternoon jumps to 9.8ft, and the wind howls from the west at 25 km/h, getting strong and bumpy. This is getting into expert territory.

The real gold is Monday morning, August 17th. Glassy conditions. The wind is flat-out glass, with a 7.5ft southwest swell rolling in. It’s going to be clean, lined up, and properly heavy. This is the second standout of the window. The wave comment says excellent for experienced surfers, and I’d agree. But watch the afternoon—a brutal SSE wind at 40 km/h will shred it.

Tuesday the 18th is still okay for the more experienced among you, with a fresh offshore SW wind and 6.6ft of swell, but it’s not as clean or as big as Monday.

Then there’s a slight lull on Wednesday the 19th, with only 3ft on offer.

But hold onto your hats for Thursday, August 20th. The forecast is for a monster SSW swell—13.1ft with a long 11-second period. And here’s the thing: it’s predicted to be too big for Waimarama. The wind is a strong offshore from the SSW at 45 km/h, which will be holding the faces up, but the energy is at a super high 5442. This is a beast. It’s only for the brave and expert crew, and even then, it might be pushing the limits of this break. Later that day it drops to a still-considerable 9.8ft.

Friday, August 21st, is the one to aim for if you want that big swell without the mayhem. The morning has a 7.9ft south swell with a clean 15 km/h offshore wind. It’s still big and powerful, but it’s more manageable than the day before. The afternoon drops to 6.9ft with a light cross-offshore SSE wind, and it will be glassy

Read more