Wharariki Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's coming up for Wharariki Beach. We've got a bit of a mixed bag in the 16-day window, so let's get into it.

We start off the week with a solid pulse of swell. The energy is strong, with a combined energy of 1695, and that's a good sign. Sunday the 26th morning is looking a bit rough with a 30 km/h SE wind and rain showers, but the afternoon cleans up nicely. The wind drops to a gentle 15 km/h ESE breeze, and we're looking at a clean 5ft swell from the west with a 14-second period. That's proper groundswell, and it's delivering excellent conditions for experienced surfers. This is the standout of the early window.

Moving into Monday the 27th, we've got some decent leftovers. The morning sees a 5ft west swell with a 12-second period, and the wind is light. The real gem is Monday afternoon: a glassy 4ft swell from the west, with a 12-second period. The wind is a slight air from the NE, making it absolutely clean. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing wild to report there.

Tuesday the 28th it drops off. The morning is surfable but ordinary with a 3ft west swell, and by the afternoon the wind turns onshore and the surf is poor. We get a bit of a reprieve Wednesday the 29th morning with a glassy 2ft west swell, but it's small. The afternoon gets messy again with a 20 km/h WNW cross-on wind.

Then things get heavy. From Thursday the 30th through to Friday the 31st, we see a big jump in size, but the wind is ugly. Thursday morning is a write-off, and Thursday afternoon brings a 7ft NW swell with a short 7-second period and a 40 km/h onshore wind – that's a washing machine. Friday is even bigger, with a 10ft to 12ft west-northwest swell, but it's all cross-on and choppy. Because the swell is over 8ft and the wind is howling, this is strictly for experts only, and even then, it looks more interesting for a kite session than a paddle session.

Saturday the 1st of August is a bit of a transition. The morning is still messy with a 7ft WNW swell and cross-shore wind, but the afternoon cleans up as the wind shifts to a 20 km/h SE cross-off. The swell drops to 5ft, and it's marginal but clean.

After that, the second week sees a lot of small, clean, but weak surf. Sunday the 2nd of August and Monday the 3rd of August offer some small, glassy 2ft to 4ft west swells, with the Monday morning swell having a very long 17-second period. That long period will make for good shape at a beach break, but the energy is low. The rest of the week from the 4th to the 10th of August is mostly small, with strong winds making it a "no-go" for the most part, though there are occasional clean moments with tiny swell.

So, the best bet is Sunday the 26th afternoon and Monday the 27th afternoon. That's your window for a clean, solid west swell. The rest of the run is either too big and messy or too small.

Rusty.

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