Waimarama Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, and we're looking at the next couple of weeks for Waimarama. This is a beach and reef setup, fairly exposed to the south swell. Let's get into it.

The week kicks off with some decent energy. Monday morning the 24th is a solid start with a clean 5ft SW swell, a light cross-off breeze meaning clean faces, and a moderate wave energy reading of 416. The water temp is sitting at 54°, which is a bit cooler than we're used to for this time of year. The afternoon steps it up, with the swell bumping to 5ft and a very long period of 13 seconds, giving us a lot of punch (energy at 816). That long period will make the sets more defined but might make it a bit tricky on the beach break section – the reef might offer the best shape here.

Tuesday the 25th is a step down. The morning has a much smaller 3ft south swell with a clean look, but it's ordinary. The afternoon drops further and gets a bit messy with a cross wind. Wednesday the 26th is tiny, with 2ft waves, not worth getting excited about.

Now, Thursday the 27th is the real standout. Thursday morning looks absolutely stunning. We've got a nice 5ft south swell, but the period is a massive 18 seconds, showing up as very strong wave energy (1223). Best of all, the wind is glassy – dead calm. That’s a recipe for perfection at Waimarama. The afternoon sees the swell grow to 5ft but the wind turns cross-onshore and it gets choppy, so the morning window is the one to target. This is easily the best waves on offer for the first week, but keep in mind that long period groundswell like that can break a bit straight on the beach, so the reef section might be where it's at.

The rest of the week into the weekend (Friday 28th through Sunday 30th) gets blown out or drops off significantly. Friday is a write-off with strong cross-on winds and choppy conditions. Saturday the 29th offers a clean 3ft south swell in the morning, which is rideable but nothing special. Sunday the 30th is small and messy.

The start of the new week (Monday 31st) has tiny, weak waves. There's a big jump in the forecast for Tuesday, September 1st. The morning shows a solid 10ft south swell, with very long period and massive energy (4114). However, that height is pushing into expert-only territory, and with a cross wind, it could be a beast. The afternoon is slightly smaller at 8ft but onshore. This is a powerful but tricky day for experienced surfers only. It looks more like a session for the brave or the kite crew on the beach.

Moving through the second week, Wednesday the 2nd through Friday the 5th of September is a mixed bag of smaller, wind-affected swells. Conditions are rough, with moderate to fresh winds making most of it choppy and poor. Saturday the 6th has a huge dose of offshore wind (25 mph) on a tiny 1.0ft swell – that wind will be too strong for the small waves. The afternoon picks up to 3ft with a 20-second period and moderate energy (911) but the wind is still fresh. The final days, Sunday the 7th and Monday the 8th of September, are small and weak again, with poor to ordinary conditions.

Overall, the standout window is Thursday morning, August 27th. That glassy, clean, strong groundswell is the one to circle on the calendar. The big Tuesday on September 1st is for the experts only, and the rest of the period is mostly a waiting game or for the dedicated paddler who doesn't mind average conditions.

Rusty.

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