Waimarama Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks. Waimarama is the only spot firing, so we’ll be keeping it local.

The forecast opens with a solid pulse of southerly swell, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Wednesday afternoon (5th Aug) sees a big 13ft S swell hitting, but with a strong 16 mph offshore wind it’s actually clean. The problem is, that’s just too much juice for this beach and reef setup – the combined energy is a massive 7789, and it’s too big for most. This is more of a seasoned expert’s window, and even then, it’s a handful.

The standout of the whole run lands on Thursday morning (6th Aug). The swell drops to a punchy 10ft from the S, with a 9 mph WSW offshore wind grooming it. The combined energy is still a hefty 3190, but the conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers. The water is sitting at 54°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year – about 2° below average, so you’ll want a good wetsuit.

Friday morning (7th Aug) offers a different flavour. The swell eases to 4ft from the S, but the period is a very long 16 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, and with a light WNW cross-off wind, the setup is clean. That long period will make it break trickier at Waimarama’s beach break sections, but it’ll be a dream on the reef. The combined energy is 1558, so there’s still plenty of push.

Sunday morning (9th Aug) onward sees a steady drop-off. The swell sinks below 3ft, and the wind goes messy. There’s a long gap of poor to flat conditions from Sunday through to the middle of the following week. The combined energy drops into the low hundreds, and the wind is either cross or onshore, so it’s not worth paddling out for.

Things start to perk up again on Saturday afternoon (15th Aug). A fresh SSW swell of 4ft arrives with a 16 mph offshore wind, and the combined energy climbs back to 352. The conditions are good, and it’s the first real sign of life in over a week.

The real highlight in the second week is Tuesday afternoon (18th Aug). The swell jumps to 8ft from the S, with a 13-second period and a 16 mph SSW offshore wind. The combined energy is 1850, and it’s rated excellent for experienced surfers. It’s a powerful, clean swell that’ll have the reef working well. The following Wednesday morning (19th Aug) holds similar quality – 8ft from the SSE, with a light 6 mph offshore wind. That’s another top session, but given it’s over a week and a half away, keep an eye on the forecasts as it’s still a bit of a wait.

Overall, the best windows are Thursday morning (6th Aug) for the biggest, most powerful swell, and the Tuesday/Wednesday (18th-19th Aug) for another strong, clean run. The rest of the time is either too big, too small, or too windy.

- Rusty

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