Waimarama Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what we’ve got cookin’.

First off, the water’s a bit colder than usual for this time of year, sitting at 54°F, so you’ll want that wetsuit done up tight. We’re looking at a pretty patchy week ahead with only a few windows of clean surf. There’s a big gap from the start of the forecast right through to late Sunday the 31st of August before anything really worth paddling out for shows up. After that, there are some good days, plus a couple of big ones that will only suit the experienced crew.

The first proper chance comes on Monday the 1st of September. Tuesday the 2nd of September is the real standout though. Wednesday the 3rd of September hangs in there, but then it fades out through the second week with only small windows.

The Standout: Tuesday the 2nd of September (Wednesday afternoon). This is the pick of the forecast. Wednesday afternoon at Waimarama is looking absolutely magic – a 6ft swell out of the south at a lovely 12-second period, and the wind goes glassy. That’s as clean as it gets. The combined swell energy is a solid 1721, so there’s proper push behind it. This is the day for experienced surfers to have a ball. It’s a beach and reef setup, fairly exposed to the south swell, so it should be working nicely with that long-period groundswell. Just a heads up, it can get crowded here, so get down early.

Monday the 1st of September is also worth a look. Strong offshore winds from the SSW at 19 mph keep it clean, but the swell is a thumping 12ft out of the SSW with a 12-second period and a massive 4740 combined energy. This is expert territory only – far too big for beginners. The morning is a bit more manageable at 7ft but with a shorter 8-second period and 950 energy. Still, that morning offshore is a beautiful thing.

Sunday the 31st of August is the first real swell pulse. It’s a 7ft SSW swell at 8 seconds (1118 energy) on Monday morning, and 7ft at 12 seconds (1222 energy) on the afternoon. Winds are clean cross-off, but the short period on the morning means it might be a bit lumpy. It’s marginal, but if you’re keen, the afternoon has more shape.

Wednesday the 3rd of September has a fading 5ft south swell at a very long 14 seconds (815 energy) in the morning, with a cross-shore wind. It’s clean enough but not a standout. The afternoon drops to 4ft at 13 seconds (402 energy). Rideable, but nothing to write home about.

The second week (from Thursday the 5th of September onwards) is pretty quiet. A tiny glassy moment on Saturday the 6th with a 3ft SSE swell at 13 seconds (406 energy) in the afternoon could give you a fun little session if you’re desperate. There’s a huge spike on Saturday the 12th of September – a 13ft south swell (3495 energy) in glassy conditions, but again, that’s way too big for this spot and only for experts.

Overall, the consistent theme is that Waimarama needs the right wind and swell size. When they line up, it’s brilliant. When they don’t, it’s flat or messy. For the rest of the 16-day window, there are several-day gaps with nothing worthwhile.

Rusty, signing off.

Read more