Wharariki Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, and I’ve had a good look at what’s coming up for Wharariki Beach. Gotta be straight with you – this stretch of coast is about to get hammered, and for most of the next 16 days, it’s going to be a write-off. We’ve got some serious swell on the way, but the wind is going to be a nightmare for the most part, so you’ll need to pick your moments very carefully.

Water temps are sitting at 57°, which is about 1° above the long-term average for this time of year – nothing too wild, just a touch warmer than usual.

The first few days don’t offer anything. Tuesday, the 25th through to Friday morning the 28th is a total loss thanks to strong cross-shore and onshore winds, moderate to strong energy (values between 841 and 2021), and lumpy, blown-out conditions. Thursday morning the 27th cleans up a tiny bit with cross-offshore winds, giving us a clean look at 5 ft of swell from the west with a 13-second period, but the energy is weak (736) and the waves are too weak for a proper session. Not worth the paddle.

Friday afternoon the 28th gets interesting, but not in a good way for paddling. The swell jumps to 13 ft from the NNW, with a pitiful 9-second period, and the energy is strong (2652). The wind is moderate cross-shore, but the size is already too big for most, and the wave quality is poor. This setup is more for kite surfers than anyone on a paddleboard or shortboard.

The weekend isn’t much better. Saturday morning the 29th has a clean, 4 ft west swell with a 10-second period, cross-offshore winds, and weak energy (634), but the wave comment says it’s marginal – likely a tide issue. Saturday afternoon is a dud. Sunday the 30th has a clean 7 ft west swell with a very long 18-second period, cross-offshore winds, but the wind is a near gale at 50 km/h (31 mph), making it unsurfable. The energy is very strong (2744), but it’s just too blown out.

The entire first week of September is a mess. Repeated runs of 8 ft to 18 ft west swells, with periods ranging from 6 to 15 seconds, and energy values climbing from 514 to a massive 13385. The wind is mostly cross-offshore or cross-onshore, but it’s strong to near gale force. On Thursday afternoon the 3rd, we get a clean 18 ft west swell with a 15-second period and moderate cross-offshore winds, but the wave comment says it’s too big for this break. The energy is extreme (13385). This is a big, heavy, expert-only big-wave day, and even then, it’s only for the most experienced.

After that, the first real standout appears on Monday morning the 7th of September. Now, this is 13 days out, so take it with a grain of salt, but the forecast is for a 7 ft west swell with a very long 16-second period, and the wind is glassy from the SSE at only 5 km/h (3 mph). The wave comment says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers,” and the energy is strong (2072). The direction is off the west, which matches the optimum swell direction for Wharariki Beach (NW), so it’s a good angle for the break. The 16-second period means groundswell, so you’ll get long, clean lines, but it might break a bit too straight at the beach. For a point break or reef, this would be perfect, but here, it’s still going to be a fantastic session for the experienced crew. The crowd profile says “never,” so you’ll have the place to yourself. This is the one to circle on your calendar.

After Monday morning, the rest of the 8th and 9th of September fall back into small, weak, or blown-out conditions. No other standouts.

So, to sum it up: the next 12 days are mostly a no-go due to heavy wind and oversized swell. There’s a two-week gap from now until that Monday morning the 7th, which is the only real chance to score. After that, it’s back to small and messy. The blank run is normal for this area when the wind turns on.

Stay patient, and keep an eye on that Monday morning the 7th of September.

Rusty.

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