Wharariki Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the menu for Wharariki Beach over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the first few days are a write-off. Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st are getting hammered by strong winds, making a mess of things. Thursday’s got a 3ft to 2ft swell from the west but the wind is on it, and the combined energy is weak to moderate (440). Friday the 31st actually sees a spike in size – 10ft to 13ft – but the wind is howling near gale force. That’s expert-only territory, if it’s even rideable, and the wave comment says poor. Not worth the paddle out.

We finally get a bit of a window on Saturday the 1st of August. The morning starts clear with a light easterly breeze, but the swell is a solid 7ft from the west with a nice, long 13-second period. The combined energy is strong (1711). The wind is side-shore though, so it’ll be a bit crossed up. It’s marginal. The afternoon drops to 5ft, still with a decent 12-second period, but the wind turns light onshore. It’s not the cleanest, but it’s the best we’ve seen in a few days.

Now, Sunday the 2nd of August is where it gets interesting. The morning is a beauty. The sky is clear, and we’ve got a light offshore breeze from the SSE. The swell is a clean 3ft from the west, with a 12-second period and a combined energy of 250. The report says "expect good surf conditions," and with that offshore wind, it’s going to be clean. This is a solid pick for a fun, longboard session.

The real standout, though, is Tuesday the 4th of August. The morning is clear with a light, cross-offshore breeze from the SSW. The swell is 5ft from the west, with a long 16-second period. The combined energy is strong (1506), and the report is calling it "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers." That long period means it’ll have some punch, but it’s not too big for an intermediate. The afternoon is even better – the wind goes glassy, and the swell settles to 4ft from the west with a 15-second period. That’s clean, lined-up waves. If you can get out there, this is the best of the run.

The rest of the week after that is a bit of a mixed bag. The swell drops off, and the wind is mostly side-offshore or strong, so the quality isn’t there. The runs from the 7th through the 14th are all small, with poor surf conditions forecast. The water temperature is sitting at 57°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Bottom line: The weekend is a slow start. Sunday morning is a good bet for a clean, small-wave session. But Tuesday the 4th is your day – glassy conditions, good energy, and long-period swell. Get on it.

Rusty.

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