Wharariki Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve got a good hard look at what’s coming for Wharariki Beach. This isn’t a rushed season; we’ve got a bit of a slow cooker for the next week, but patience is going to pay off.

The week kicks off with a glassy, clean Monday afternoon (27 July). We’ve got a 4 ft swell from the west, with a long 12-second period giving it some real shape. The combined energy is a solid 497, and the water is sitting at 58°, which is about average for this time of year. With the wind glassy from the NE, it’s a proper session for an intermediate who wants to get into some lined-up, clean waves. This is a good start, but it’s not the main event.

The next few days are a bit of a write-off. Tuesday morning (28 July) is cross-off, but only 3 ft and the energy drops to 194. It’s surfable, but you’d be better off waiting. Wednesday morning (29 July) has another glassy window with 3 ft and 218 energy, but it’s small. By Wednesday afternoon, the WNW wind kicks up to 16 mph, and while the swell period jumps to 14 seconds, it’s cross-shore and messy. Thursday (30 July) is a total mess with fresh to strong cross-onshore winds, and Friday (31 July) sees a massive 12 ft to 13 ft swell from the west, but it’s blowing a near gale at 34 mph. The combined energy skyrockets to 1658 and then 4096, but the wind is cross-off and ripping. That’s expert-only territory, and honestly, it’s more of a kite-surfing show than a paddle session.

Now, the real standout. Clear your calendar for Monday morning, 3 August. The wind is glassy again from the ESE, and we’ve got a 4 ft swell from the west with a very long period of 19 seconds. The energy is 957. This is a proper groundswell, and for a beach break, that long period can make it a bit straight, but Wharariki can handle it with the right tide. The conditions are clean, and the forecast is rated as very good. This is the best of the lot.

Then, on Wednesday afternoon, 5 August, we get another clean window. The wind is offshore from the SSE at 16 mph, and we’ve got 6 ft from the west with an 8-second period. The energy is 571, and the conditions are clean. It’s a shorter period, so it’s a bit more playful, but it’s a solid session.

The second week gets a bit more ordinary. Saturday morning, 10 August, has a tiny 1 ft swell with only 72 energy. It’s clean, but you’ll be looking for any ripple. Tuesday morning, 11 August, is also clean with 1 ft and 83 energy – surfable, but very ordinary. Keep an eye on the longer-range forecasts, because this blank run might shift, but for now, it’s a quiet end to the outlook.

Overall, the best on offer is definitely Monday morning, 3 August, for that glassy, long-period groundswell, and Wednesday afternoon, 5 August, for the offshore, punchy waves. The rest of the first week is either too small, too windy, or too big.

Rusty.

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