Waipaoa River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break it down.

We’re starting off slow, real slow. The first few days at Waipaoa River aren’t much to write home about. Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th of July have some tiny waves, around 1ft to 3ft, with short or mixed-up periods. The combined energy is weak (36 to 247), so there’s just not enough juice in the water. You’ll be struggling to get a ride.

Sunday the 26th sees a bump to about 5ft, but the period drops to 7 seconds – that’s short-period windswell, not great. The energy picks up to 668, but it’s still pretty ordinary. The wind is cross-off, so it’s clean, but the wave quality is just not there yet.

Then things start to look up. Monday the 27th of July is the first real standout. We’ve got a solid 6ft swell from the SE with a 13-second period, so proper groundswell is in the water. The combined energy hits 980 (moderate), and the wind is offshore from the WSW. That’s clean, peeling lines. The water temp is sitting at 55°F, which is about 3°F colder than average for this time of year, so you’ll want a thick wetsuit. This is a good day for the advanced crew.

Tuesday the 28th is the pick of the first week. The swell holds at 6ft from the ESE, period still at 13 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 1129 (strong). The wind is light and offshore from the WSW in the morning. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers – clean, powerful, and consistent. The river mouth sandbar will be handling it well. The afternoon stays clean with a gentle cross-off, but the morning is the session to aim for.

Wednesday the 29th and Thursday the 30th are still good, with 5ft and 5ft swells and light winds, but the energy drops a bit (771 to 593). The afternoons get a light cross-on breeze, so go early.

Friday the 31st and Saturday the 1st of August are smaller, around 3ft to 4ft, but still have some fun potential. The combined energy is back down to 282-315, so it’s a bit weaker. But the Friday afternoon looks glassy, which is a treat.

Now, Sunday the 2nd of August is a big day. The swell jumps to 8ft from the S, period 9 seconds. The combined energy is massive at 1687. The morning is clean with a light cross-off breeze. That’s expert territory for sure, not for the faint-hearted. The afternoon gets a cross-on breeze, so get on it early.

Monday the 3rd drops back to 4ft with cleaner conditions.

Then we hit a rough patch. From Tuesday the 4th through to Friday the 7th of August, the wind turns nasty. We’ve got strong onshore winds from the SE and SSE, 18 to 31 mph, and the swell is messy. The combined energy values are high (up to 8696 on the 6th), but that’s just big, wind-whipped, blown-out junk. The wave quality is poor, and it’s far from surfable. A kite surfer might be eyeing that up, but for a paddle surfer, it’s a hard pass.

Saturday the 8th of August is the second standout. After that blowout, we get a clean 8ft swell from the SSW with a 9-second period, and the wind goes light offshore from the WSW. The combined energy is 2008 (strong). This is another excellent session for the experienced surfer, clean and powerful.

So, the one to circle is Tuesday the 28th of July for the best combination of solid size, long period, and clean offshore wind. The second standout is Saturday the 8th of August, which is a promising option but a bit further out, so keep an eye on the forecasts.

Rusty out.

Read more