Wharariki Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming down the line for Wharariki Beach. It's a bit of a mixed bag, and I won't lie, there's some big, gnarly water on the horizon, but we’ve got to be patient for the clean ones.

Right now, the water temp is sitting at a pretty average 57°F for the time of year, so nothing weird going on there.

The first week is a write-off for a decent paddle. We've got a big, powerful groundswell rolling in from the west, with a very long period of 17 seconds on Sunday the 6th. The combined energy is massive at 3217 (moderate to strong), but with a strong 25 mph cross-on wind, it's just a messy, blown-out cauldron. Not worth getting wet.

We get a bit of a lull after that, but the wind is brutal. Monday the 7th sees a gale from the SE at 40 mph, and while the conditions are clean and the swell drops to 4ft, the wind is far too strong for any kind of enjoyable surf. The same goes for Tuesday and Wednesday – the energy is weak (366 and 131) with small, weak swell.

The real story starts to build towards the end of the second week. Thursday the 10th shows a jump in size to 7ft from the WNW, but the period is a short, bumpy 6 seconds. Clean, but not great.

Now, keep your eyes on the 13th of September – Sunday morning. The forecast is showing a massive 13ft swell from the west, with a very long period of 16 seconds. The combined energy is a staggering 15341 (strong to very strong). The wind is a clean, strong breeze offshore. This is a true standout. But, and this is a big but, this is an exposed beach break. At 13ft, this is expert-only territory. The long period will also mean the waves will be very straight and powerful, which isn't ideal for a beach. It's a monster that only the brave and very skilled should consider. The rest of the week is just more of the same – huge, clean, but too big and wind-affected.

The final standout window is the 19th of September – Saturday morning. Another clean, offshore morning with a 13ft west swell, period of 8 seconds. The energy is strong at 2121. Again, 13ft is for experts only.

So, the overall picture is this: a lot of stormy, messy, or dangerously big surf. The one true highlight for a surfer with the skills and courage is the morning of September 13th. Big, powerful, and clean offshore wind, but it's a beast. For the rest of us, it's a waiting game for a smaller, cleaner day, which doesn't look like it's coming in the 16-day window.

Rusty, signing off.

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