Waimarama Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s talk about what’s coming for Waimarama over the next couple of weeks. Right now, it’s flat as a pancake, so don’t bother paddling out just yet. The first proper surf window opens up on Sunday the 2nd of August, and that’s the real standout of the whole run.

Sunday morning will see a solid 2.2m S swell rolling in with a 12-second period. That’s groundswell, packing a punch with combined energy at 1660 (moderate to strong). The wind’s a light W’ly cross-off at 10 km/h, keeping it clean. This size is into expert territory—over 6 feet, so beginners should sit it out. The water temp is 12.6°, about 0.9° cooler than average for this time of year, so nothing crazy, but you’ll want a good wetsuit. The swell’s from the S, and the break’s optimum direction is E, so it’s not a perfect match, but the quality for experienced surfers is excellent. Sunday afternoon turns glassy with a light SSE breeze at 5 km/h, and the swell drops to 1.9m, still a fun size. Waimarama is a beach and reef setup, fairly exposed, and crowds are possible sometimes, so keep your head on a swivel.

Monday the 3rd drops off. Morning has a 1.3m SSE swell with a clean NW cross-off, decent for a paddle but nothing to rave about. The energy is 488 (moderate). Afternoon gets sloppier with a stronger WSW wind at 20 km/h and only 0.9m of S swell.

Tuesday the 4th kicks up hard. Morning sees a 2.5m S swell with a short 9-second period, and a strong SSW offshore at 40 km/h. That offshore wind is clean, but the short period makes it bumpy and tough to paddle into. At 2.5m, it’s expert-only. The energy is 1424 (strong). By afternoon, it jumps to a massive 4.0m swell from the S at 12 seconds, with a combined energy of 4959 (very strong). The SW offshore is still howling at 40 km/h, and it’s just too big—only for the madmen.

Wednesday the 5th is even bigger. Morning has 4.5m S swell, 12-second period, with combined energy of 10548 (very strong). The offshore SSW wind at 30 km/h keeps it clean, but this is a beast and overwhelms the break. Afternoon drops to 4.0m but still too large. The mid-week is not for the average surfer.

Thursday the 6th is the next real highlight. Morning brings a 2.2m SSW swell at 11 seconds, with a gentle SW offshore at 15 km/h. Perfect conditions for experienced surfers, clean lines, energy at 2205 (strong). This is the second-best session of the fortnight. Afternoon backs off to 1.8m with a cross-off wind, still ok.

Friday the 7th is smaller with 1.4m SSE swell in the morning, clean but nothing special. Energy is 662 (moderate). The afternoon has a weird 1.2m S swell with a very long 17-second period. That’s a long period groundswell, which can break too straight at a beach break. The wind is a light cross-on from the ESE, so it won’t be glassy.

Saturday the 8th morning is worth a look. It’s 1.7m SSE swell at 12 seconds, with a light WNW cross-off and almost no wind. It will be clean and glassy, energy at 909 (moderate). A fun size for most, but remember the optimum direction is E, not SSE.

From Sunday the 9th onward, things go downhill. The 9th has a 1.4m SSE swell with a very long 16-second period, but cross-shore and onshore winds. It’s marginal. Monday the 10th is small, 1.5m SSE swell, but the morning is glassy with a light NW breeze—that’s a window of clean, small waves for a quiet session. Energy is 542 (moderate).

Tuesday the 11th morning is clean again with a 1.5m SSE swell, 13-second period, and a light WNW cross-off. Decent, but nothing standout.

From Wednesday the 12th all the way to Monday the 17th, it’s mostly poor. The surf drops off hard, with swells under 1m and strong onshore winds from the NE and NNE. The combined energy drops into double and triple digits (67 to 662), which is weak to moderate. There’s a day on Friday the 14th with a

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