Wharariki Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s going on with the surf. We’re looking at a stretch that’s mostly a bit of a battle with the wind, but there are a few windows where it’ll come together.

First up, Wharariki Beach. This is our main spot for the whole 16-day run. The water is sitting around 57°, which is about normal for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

The first real chance to get wet comes on the Monday afternoon of the 17th of August. There’s some swell on the way, but it's a bit of a tease. The wind is a cross-breeze at 12 mph, and the swell is 4ft from the west with a long 15-second period. The combined energy is moderate (606). It’s not going to be clean, and the forecast is pretty marginal, so don’t get your hopes up too high for that session.

The Tuesday morning of the 18th of August looks a bit better. The wind swings to a cross-offshore breeze, cleaning things up nicely. The swell drops to 3ft from the west, still with a decent 14-second period. The combined energy is weaker (349). It’s small, but clean. The afternoon on the same day improves a touch with a 4ft west swell, 13-second period, and a light cross-offshore wind. Energy is moderate (563). Small and clean.

Wednesday morning the 19th of August is a standout. The wind is light from the ESE at 3 mph, almost glassy. The swell is a solid 4ft from the west, with a very long 16-second period. That’s proper groundswell. The combined energy is moderate-strong (875). This is the best looking surf of the first week. The long period will make the waves shape up well, but at a beach break like Wharariki, it might break a bit straight. Still, with those clean conditions, it’s the call.

Then the wind turns nasty. From Wednesday afternoon through the weekend, the wind is howling from the west, hitting 22-28 mph, making a mess of everything. The swell gets bigger, hitting 7ft on the Saturday, but it’s a short-period windswell (6 seconds) with a strong cross-chop. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session. The Sunday morning of the 23rd of August has a 8ft swell from the WNW with a short 8-second period and a cross-offshore wind, but the energy is high (841) and the wind is fresh. It’s big, but messy.

The Monday of the 24th of August is for experts only. We’re looking at a 10ft west swell with a 15-second period, but the wind is a near-gale at 34 mph. The combined energy is massive (4227). That’s a dangerous, blown-out mess. Stay on the beach.

The following week is a bit of a mixed bag. The Tuesday morning of the 25th of August has a 5ft west swell, 15-second period, but the wind is still a near-gale at 34 mph. Clean, but you’ll be fighting a hurricane. Not recommended.

The Wednesday of the 26th of August looks more promising. The wind drops to 12 mph from the WSW, cross-offshore. The swell is 6ft from the west, 13-second period, with moderate energy (958). Clean and manageable, but marginal.

The Saturday morning of the 29th of August is another one to watch. The swell is 7ft from the WNW with a 10-second period, and the wind is a light cross-offshore from the SE. The combined energy is strong (1934). This is a bigger, cleaner swell, but the period is a bit average. It’s a potential, but it’s a long way out.

The Sunday morning of the 30th of August is interesting. The wind is light and cross-offshore, the swell is 4ft from the NW with a 9-second period, and the energy is moderate (464). It’s the only session in the second week that gets a “good” rating, so keep an eye on it.

Bottom line: The best session on offer is the Wednesday morning of the 19th of August. Glassy conditions, a solid 4ft west swell with a very long period. That’s the one to circle. The Saturday morning of the 29th of August is a promising long-range option, but it’s a long way out and the period is shorter. The rest of the window is a fight with the wind.

Rusty.

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