Wainui Bay Chalet Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Wainui Bay Chalet. The next 16 days are a bit of a mixed bag, with a classic winter pattern swinging in and out. The water’s sitting at about 56°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year – so don’t be shy with the rubber.

We kick off on Saturday, 25 July, with a small, clean start. The morning’s the pick with a light offshore from the northwest at 9 mph. You’ve got 3 ft of easterly swell rolling in with a 12-second period, keeping things tidy. The energy is moderate at 191. It’s surfable, but very ordinary – more of a warm-up than a standout.

Then the wheels fall off Saturday afternoon as the wind swings southwest and picks up, making a mess of things. Sunday morning, 26 July, shows a real shift – a 7 ft southerly swell arrives, but the period’s a short 8 seconds and the wind is cross-shore. The combined energy jumps to 1278, which is strong, but this spot just can’t handle a swell that big when it’s that short. It’s too big for anything fun here.

Sunday afternoon and Monday stay big and unruly, with the swell peaking at 10 ft on Monday afternoon. The energy hits 2803 – that’s very strong wave energy – but for Wainui Bay Chalet, it’s just too much. The wind is howling and cross-shore, so unless you’re kiting, this is a write-off.

Things finally settle mid-week. Wednesday morning, 29 July, is a real gem. The swell drops to 6 ft with a lovely 13-second period from the east-southeast, and the wind goes glassy – dead calm at 3 mph from the south. It’s glassy as, and the energy is still a decent 1048. This is the standout for the period, but only for experienced surfers. That size with that period at this break will be a handful.

Thursday, 30 July, sees the morning offering 5 ft of clean easterly swell with a nice 12-second period, and a gentle offshore from the north-northwest at 9 mph. The energy is 541, moderate but well-formed. This is your best bet for a long, clean session that won’t punish you too hard.

Friday, 31 July, stays small and clean through both sessions – 4 ft and then 3 ft from the east-southeast, periods hanging around 11 seconds. Light winds, clean waves. More of that nice, cruisy winter surf.

Then we hit a dry patch. Saturday, 1 August, starts with tiny 2 ft easterly swell and strong northeasterly winds, and then a messy short-period southerly fills in. Sunday, 2 August, has a clean 6 ft south-southeast swell in the morning, but the period’s only 7 seconds – that’s a weak, jumbled wave. Not a lot to get excited about.

Monday, 3 August, brings another big pulse – a 8 ft easterly swell with a 10-second period and very strong energy (1622). Again, too big for this break to handle well. The wind is light and clean, but the swell is just too heavy for the average punter.

From Tuesday, 4 August, right through to the end of the outlook on Sunday, 9 August, it’s a long stretch of poor conditions. Strong onshore winds from the south and southeast, messy seas, and mostly too much wind chop. The swell hangs around 5 ft to 7 ft, but with the wind all over it, it’s not worth paddling out. The energy stays moderate to strong, but it’s all ugly. That’s nearly a week of dross.

So, to wrap it up: the true standouts are Wednesday morning the 29th for the glassy, powerful conditions (experts only), and Thursday morning the 30th for the clean, offshore, manageable swell. The rest is either too big, too windy, or too small. A classic winter mixed bag.

Rusty.

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