Wharariki Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what we’ve got on offer for the next couple of weeks.

Right out of the gate, it’s a bit of a tough stretch. The pattern for the first week or so is dominated by strong, messy winds and lumpy conditions, so don’t expect much in the way of quality surf. We’re looking at a long gap here with no real recommendations until the end of the month.

The main spot on the radar is Wharariki Beach. It’s an exposed, consistent break that’s best with a NW swell direction. The water temp is sitting at about 57°, which is pretty much average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

For the first few days, it’s all about those strong winds. Tuesday the 25th sees a 6ft W swell but has a 25 mph cross-shore wind, creating messy cross-chop. Wednesday the 26th isn’t much better, with 5ft to 7ft W swells and even stronger cross or cross-onshore winds. Thursday the 27th offers a brief drop in swell size (3ft to 4ft) and cleaner conditions with a cross-offshore ESE breeze, but the energy is weak (310 to 438), so it’s not going to be doing much. Friday the 28th gets a serious bump in size – a 13ft NNW swell, but with a 37 mph onshore wind, it’s a complete mess and only for the crazy ones. The combined wave energy is very strong (3421), but the wind ruins it.

We finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. The standout is Monday morning, the 31st of August. That’s the one to circle. We’ve got an 8ft W swell with a 15-second period – that’s proper groundswell, full of energy (3221), and it’s paired with a light ESE breeze of just 6 mph blowing cross-offshore. The conditions are forecast as excellent for experienced surfers. This will be big, clean, and powerful. Because it’s a long-period groundswell, it might wall up on the beach, so it’ll be best for those with some experience. Crowds are never an issue here, which is a bonus.

After that, the following week gets a bit more mixed. Tuesday the 1st of September morning has a smaller 4ft W swell with 15-second period and a glassy 3 mph cross-offshore wind – could be a nice, clean session on the smaller stuff. The rest of the week up to the 7th is either too windy or messy, with most afternoons getting blown out. There’s another little window on Saturday morning, the 5th of September, with a 7ft W swell (2488 energy) and a gentle 9 mph ESE cross-offshore breeze – that’s another good option for experienced surfers, but it’s further out and less certain.

All in all, the best bet is Monday the 31st of August morning at Wharariki Beach. It’s a genuine, clean, powerful west swell with light offshore winds. Don’t waste your time on the rest of the first week.

Rusty

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