Wainui Beach - Schools Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The next couple of weeks here at Wainui Beach – Schools are a bit of a mixed bag, with a real standout waiting in the second week if you’ve got the patience and the skills to handle it.

Right now, the surf is small. We’re seeing a weak, long-period SSE swell pushing in, but it’s not doing much. Friday morning (4th September) brings a clean 2-foot wave from the SSE with a nice 11-second period and a light offshore breeze, but the overall energy is very low (81). It’s surfable, but it’s not going to blow your mind. That afternoon drops even smaller. The wind stays favourable through the weekend, but the swell just doesn’t have any size or punch. Saturday morning is a tiny 1-foot, and even with a clean offshore, it’s more of a paddle than a proper surf. Sunday holds a similar story – small, clean, but nothing to rush for.

The water temperature is sitting at 55°F, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so layer up if you’re heading out.

Monday through to Thursday of next week are poor. The swell is tiny, the wind is messy, or both. A bit of a blank spell, really. There’s a slight pulse on Wednesday the 9th with a 3-foot SSE swell, but the wind is cross-onshore and the break is a beach-and-reef setup, so it’s not looking like a good paddle. Honestly, the conditions are more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on some of those days.

Then we hit Saturday the 12th of September. This is the first real highlight. Clean conditions with a light offshore breeze, and a 4-foot SSE swell with moderate energy (311) – it’s shaping up to be a solid morning. The wave period is 10 seconds, so it’s a decent groundswell, and the optimum direction from the SSE is right on the money. This is the best bet in the first week. Just be aware, crowds are possible here, so get in early.

The next big one, and the real standout of the whole forecast, is Wednesday the 16th of September. This is a massive event. The swell jumps to 8 feet from the SSE early in the morning, with a very long 16-second period. The combined energy is a massive 3179 – that’s serious power. The wind is offshore, clean, and gentle. However, and this is a big however, this is an advanced wave. At 8 feet, it’s only for experts. The break is a beach-and-reef setup, and with such a long period, it’s prone to breaking a bit straight on the beach, but it’ll be a beast on the reef. This is a long-range call, so it’s promising but not locked in yet. Keep an eye on it.

After that, the swell drops back down quickly. The rest of the second week is small and messy, with poor conditions through to the 19th.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is small and clean but not worth a special trip. Saturday the 12th is the pick of the early days. The real standout is Wednesday the 16th, but it’s a big, powerful, expert-only swell. If you’re not ready for that, wait for the next clean, small day.

Rusty.

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