Waimarama Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's get into it.

For the next couple of weeks, it’s a bit of a mixed bag, but there’s some definite light at the end of the tunnel. The ocean’s looking a touch moody after a calm spell, and with water temps a bit cooler than normal for September (54°F), you’ll want a decent wetsuit, no question.

The first few days are pretty underwhelming. Thursday morning offers weak 3ft swell from the ESE with a short period of 8 seconds and light cross-shore wind, but the conditions are poor. It’s really not worth paddling out for that kind of energy (110). It doesn’t get much better through Friday and Saturday despite some clean windows; the swell is tiny or just doesn’t shape up right.

Now, Sunday the 13th is where it starts to get interesting. Look at that morning session: 6ft of south swell with a period of 13 seconds—that’s proper groundswell energy (1288)! Winds are cross-off and clean from the WSW. This is genuinely surfable, but at that size, it’s getting a bit raw for groms. The afternoon bumps up to 8ft from the SSW with even more energy (2824), still with clean conditions. That’s a solid, powerful swell, so if you’re an experienced surfer, this is your window.

We then hit a bit of a lull through most of the following week, with small, average waves and ordinary conditions. There’s a tiny blip on the 17th with a long period 16-second SSW groundswell, but it’s only 1ft and energy is weak (115), so not worth chasing.

Standout alert. The real pay-off comes in the second week, around Monday the 21st of September. Monday afternoon offers a glassy session with 4ft of S swell at 12 seconds. The wind is dead calm, glass-off from the NE, and that combination is as good as it gets for clean lines. Tuesday the 22nd morning is the absolute peak: 4ft S swell (moderate energy at 479), with glassy conditions again (ENE 5 km/h). It’s small enough for most surfers but has that long period (12 seconds) to give it some push and shape. Make time for that Tuesday morning session—it’s the standout by a mile. Crowds are possible here at Waimarama, so get in early.

Later in the week, the 23rd and 24th offer more clean, glassy or cross-off conditions with consistent waist-to-chest high S/SE swell (4ft to 4ft). It’s not as punchy as the Tuesday swell, but it’s solid fun and clean.

On the 25th, a big 10ft NE swell rolls in by the afternoon, but it’s coupled with a strong 25 km/h offshore from SSE and shorter period (9 seconds). That’s got some serious energy (1891), but at that size, it’s an expert-only wave and the onshore component might chop it up a bit. Could be a looker for the brave, or maybe more interesting for the kite crew than the paddle crew.

Overall, your two best bets are Sunday the 13th for power and Tuesday the 22nd for clean, quality waves. Don’t waste your time on the rest.

Rusty.

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