Wainui Beach - Schools Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with the long-range look for our local spot. The forecast is a bit of a slow burn, opening with tiny, clean waves before a couple of big, powerful swells roll in that are really only for the experienced crew.

The first few days, starting Friday the 24th of July, are pretty small. Friday morning kicks off with a tiny 1ft SSE swell, but with a light NNW offshore wind, it's glassy clean. The energy is weak (36), so you’ll be on a longboard or just enjoying the morning. The swell tries to pick up over the weekend, but Saturday the 25th is still only about 3ft from the east. The morning is the pick with a clean offshore, but by afternoon the wind swings cross-off and it gets messy. Sunday morning the 26th sees a jump to about 7ft from the south, but this is a short-period (8 seconds) wind swell. The combined energy is strong (1103), but for a beach-and-reef setup like Wainui Beach - Schools, that size and period combo is just too big and messy for a good paddle. Definitely a day for the experts only, if anyone.

Now, the real standout starts to build. Monday the 27th morning cleans up nicely with a 4ft ESE groundswell at 13 seconds and light offshore winds. The energy is moderate (574), and conditions look excellent. That theme carries into Tuesday the 28th. Tuesday morning is the absolute standout of the whole run. Clean, light offshore from the WNW, with a solid 6ft ESE groundswell at 13 seconds. The combined energy is strong (1041), and the forecast points to excellent conditions for experienced surfers. This is the session to circle. The afternoon gets a bit cross-onshore, but the morning window is pure gold.

Wednesday the 29th and Thursday the 30th hold solid, with 4ft to 5ft ESE swell and clean offshore winds in the mornings. Really good, fun waves for the intermediate crew. The energy drops a bit through the week, but it stays clean.

We hit a bit of a lull Friday the 31st, with a small, cross-onshore wind making things marginal. Then Saturday the 1st of August brings another big pulse, this time about 7ft from the south on Saturday morning, blowing up to 10ft on Saturday afternoon. The energy is very strong (1130-3090), but again, it’s too big for this break for most. The same goes for Sunday the 2nd, with about 8ft in the morning. That’s expert-only territory.

The following week from Monday the 3rd to Thursday the 6th of August looks more promising for everyone. The swell drops back to the 4ft to 6ft range, with clean, moderate offshore winds from the NW. Thursday the 6th morning is another beauty, with a long-period 6ft SSE swell at 15 seconds and light offshore winds. The energy is strong (1237), and it’s pointing to excellent conditions for the experienced crowd again. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so a decent wetsuit is the call.

Friday the 7th of August brings another big south swell, about 7ft, which is again too big for the break. The run ends on Saturday the 8th with onshore winds and a lumpy mess.

So, the pick of the bunch is Tuesday the 28th of July morning – that clean, 6ft groundswell with light offshore winds is the one to get amped for. The Thursday the 6th of August morning is a close second. The rest of the time, it’s either small and clean or big and gnarly. Keep an eye on the forecasts, but those two windows are golden.

Rusty.

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