Wharariki Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a good hard look at what’s coming down the pipe for Wharariki Beach. Gotta be straight with you – we’re in for a wild ride over the next two weeks.

First thing you need to know is the water temp is sitting around 58° which is pretty standard for this time of year, so no thermal surprises there. The setup at Wharariki is an exposed beach that loves a NW swell, and we’ve got a massive window of action, but it comes with a lot of noise.

It kicks off with a bit of a false start. Thursday 23rd and Friday 24th are a write-off – we’ve got a fresh 8 ft to 10 ft swell, but the wind is a total mess, cross-shore and cross-onshore. It’s lumpy, choppy, and just ugly. You’re better off staying home.

Then the real show starts. Saturday 25th is the standout without question. We see a solid 13 ft groundswell from the W with a period of 12-14 seconds – that’s serious energy pumping through (4563 to 6986 combined energy). The wind goes clean cross-off, but here’s the caveat: this is a big, powerful swell. At 13 ft, this isn’t for beginners. It’s more of a show for the experienced crew. The timing looks favorable, and the wind is right, so the wave shape should be there.

Sunday 26th is still on, but it’s a step down. We get a clean 5 ft to 6 ft swell from the W with a long 14-second period. The morning is clean, but the real gem is the Sunday afternoon – glassy conditions with a 5 ft swell (1068 combined energy). That’s a beautiful window for an intermediate surfer who wants some clean, manageable waves. Crowds are never an issue here.

Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th are more of a cruise. The swell drops to 4 ft to 5 ft, but the wind turns light and glassy on Tuesday morning. That 4 ft swell (345 combined energy) with glassy conditions is a great little session for a quieter day.

The middle of the week, Wednesday 29th through Thursday 30th, gets messy again. A fresh 6 ft to 8 ft blow from the W hits with strong cross-shore winds. It’s lumpy and not worth paddling out.

Friday 31st brings a near-gale cross-off wind with a 6 ft swell. Plenty of energy (1084 combined energy) but the wind is just too strong for a nice line-up.

Now, shifting into August, the 1st and 2nd look more promising. Saturday 1st August morning shows a clean 5 ft to 4 ft W swell with a light offshore SSE wind. That’s a real good look – smooth, clean, and a nice long period of 12-13 seconds. The afternoon stays clean and cross-off. This is a solid second-week highlight.

The gap after that is noticeable. From Sunday 2nd August through to Tuesday 4th August, we see a drop in quality. The swell goes small and a bit weak, and the wind picks up again or goes cross. There’s nothing really calling you out.

However, we get a nice little return on Wednesday 5th August afternoon. A 5 ft groundswell from the W with a 17-second period (1321 combined energy) goes glassy. That’s a long-period groundswell – it’ll have some push and shape, but it might break a bit straight at the beach. Still, glassy and 5 ft is a treat.

The last few days, 6th and 7th August, fade out. Small swell, light winds, but nothing special.

Overall, the absolute pick of the bunch is Saturday 25th July for the experienced crowd (big, clean, powerful), and then Sunday 26th afternoon and Wednesday 5th August afternoon for clean, glassy, manageable conditions. Don’t bother paddling out on the 23rd, 24th, 29th, or 30th.

Keep your eyes on the sky.

Rusty.

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