Wainui Beach - Schools Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got one main spot to focus on: Wainui Beach - Schools. It’s a beach and reef setup, exposed to the swell, and it’s mostly for the advanced crew when it gets going.

The water temperature is sitting at 56°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year – about 3° cooler, so you’ll want a decent wetsuit.

The first real surf action kicks off on Tuesday the 21st of July. That morning, we’ve got a clean 5 ft SSE swell with a very long period of 16 seconds, and a light westerly cross-offshore breeze. The energy is pumping hard with a solid 1379 (moderate to strong energy). This is a standout window. The long period means it’ll be a groundswell, with nice shaped waves, but it might break a bit straight on the beach – this one will be best on the reef or points. The water will be clean, and it’s for experienced surfers only. Tuesday afternoon drops off a little with onshore wind, so hit the morning.

Wednesday the 22nd is a bit smaller, with 3 ft SSE swell in the morning under a light offshore, and the afternoon turns glassy with 3 ft. The energy is light (299 morning, 226 afternoon). It’s surfable, but not a standout.

Thursday the 23rd is tiny, down to 2 ft, and by Friday the 24th we’re looking at a flat spell with only 1.0 ft – poor conditions. That gap lasts through to Saturday the 25th, where the morning remains flat, but the afternoon brings a raw 7 ft SSW swell with a shorter period of 9 seconds and a strong cross-offshore wind at 30 km/h. The energy is a moderate 999, but it’s a messy cross-offshore and the quality is marginal. Honestly, this looks more like a kite-surfing setup than a paddle one.

Sunday the 26th is a write-off. Light rain, and the afternoon fires up a massive 10 ft SSW swell with a short period of 9 seconds, and a cross-shore wind. The energy is massive at 2074, but it’s too big for this break – only for the crazy experts, and even then, the wind is messy.

Now, from Monday the 27th of July, we finally get back into it. The morning has a clean 6 ft ESE swell with a nice 13-second period, light offshore wind, and energy of 1226. That’s excellent. Then Monday afternoon goes glassy with 6 ft ESE swell, 13 seconds, and 1473 energy – that’s the second standout of the whole period. The wind is calm, the waves are clean, and it’s solid. This is for experienced surfers, but it’ll be well worth the paddle. Crowds are possible here, so don’t sleep in.

Tuesday the 28th keeps the clean 5 ft ESE swell in the morning, but the afternoon turns onshore and choppy. Wednesday the 29th is clean again with 4 ft under light offshore and glassy conditions.

The rest of the week into early August holds consistent but smaller surf, around 3 ft to 4 ft, with clean mornings and offshore winds. The energy drops to 200-400 range, so it’s fun but not firing.

Then on Sunday the 2nd of August, we get another massive pulse – 10 ft S swell at 11 seconds in the morning, with a strong 2568 energy, but it’s accompanied by rain and a strong cross-offshore wind. Too big for this break, and the afternoon blows up to 16 ft – that’s a monster, but it’s onshore and lumpy. Not for paddling.

By Tuesday the 4th of August, the swell settles back to 3 ft SSE with a very clean offshore wind and a long period of 15 seconds, and energy of 616. That’s a nice, clean finish to the 16-day run.

Overall, the best on offer is Tuesday the 21st of July morning, and Monday the 27th of July afternoon. Both are clean, solid, and packing good energy. Everything else is fun but not epic.

Rusty.

Read more