Wainui Beach - Schools Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way.

The next 16 days are a bit of a slow burn, but there’s one stand-out window that’s got me pretty excited. For the first week, we’re waiting on the swell to build, but patience will pay off.

Wainui Beach - Schools (beach and reef) is the only spot on the menu, and it’s exposed to the swell, so it’s where we’ll be. Wednesday morning, July 15, kicks off with a tiny 1 ft groundswell from the ESE, period 11s. The combined energy is weak at 43. It’s clean with a light offshore NW breeze, but it’s really just a paddle. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing weird.

Thursday morning, July 16, we get a little more life: 2 ft from the ESE, period 15s, and the energy jumps to moderate at 182. Clean again with a light offshore. But the highlight is Thursday afternoon – the wind picks up to 12 mph from the NW, still offshore, and the swell holds at 2 ft with a very long period of 18s. The energy is now moderate at 366. That’s the kind of clean, lined-up groundswell that will make the reef sections groove. It’s not big, but it’ll be quality.

The real standout is Friday morning, July 17. We’re looking at 5 ft from the ESE, period 16s, and the combined energy is strong at 1083. The wind is light offshore from the NW, making it glassy. This is the best on offer – clean, solid groundswell that will wrap in nicely. The period is long, so expect longer waits between sets, but the waves will be well-shaped and have real push. This is for experienced surfers; it’s a bit much for beginners. The afternoon looks like it goes a bit lumpy with a cross-on breeze, so get it in the morning.

Saturday morning, July 18, is still good – 4 ft, period 14s, energy 930, and clean offshore wind. A solid session, but not quite the peak of Friday.

From Sunday, July 19, things get messy. Strong cross-on south winds and lumpy conditions for a couple of days. The energy is still high, but the quality is poor. Monday and Tuesday offer some cleaner spells with cross-shore or offshore winds, but the swell drops back to 3 ft–4 ft. It’s marginal, but there’ll be the odd fun wave if you’re keen.

The second week, from July 22 onward, the swell fades further. Heights drop to 2 ft–3 ft, periods shorten, and the energy sinks. The winds are often offshore in the mornings, keeping it clean, but it’s small and weak. Wednesday July 22 morning has 2 ft and clean conditions, but it’s not going to get the heart pumping. There’s a little bump on Sunday July 26 morning with 2 ft and a clean offshore, but it’s just small-scale fun.

Overall, don’t expect much after the first weekend. The best wave of the entire outlook is Friday morning, July 17. That’s the one to circle on the calendar. Get there early.

Rusty.

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