Wharariki Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty, and let's have a look at what's on the cards for Wharariki Beach over the next couple of weeks. Right off the bat, it's a grim start, with a real dry spell for decent waves. The first few days are a write-off so we're looking at a gap of about four days before anything gets close to worthwhile.

The water here is sitting at 59°F with a water temperature anomaly of 2°F, so it's a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, not a big deal but a nice little bonus.

The first real glimmer comes on the morning of Wednesday, the 22nd of July. It's not exactly pumping - just a small 3ft swell from the WSW with a short period of 6 seconds. The combined swell energy is weak (128) and the conditions are ordinary. The wind goes light offshore from the SSE, so it'll be clean, but there's just not enough push to get excited about. The afternoon drops even smaller to 1ft.

Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th are a write-off. The wind is howling onshore or cross-shore, the surf is messy, and the quality is poor. Friday even brings a risk of thunderstorms and a 8ft short-period swell that looks more like a washing machine than a wave.

Now, hold onto your leggie, because Saturday the 25th of July is where things get huge. The morning sees a solid 12ft swell from the W with a 13-second period, and the combined energy is massive (4589). The afternoon pumps up to 12ft from the WNW with a very long 16-second period and a massive energy reading of 6912. The wind is cross-offshore and strong. This is heavy, powerful groundswell. However, this is way too big for Wharariki Beach, only for absolute experts. Beginners and intermediates, stay well clear. The long period will make it break straight and fast, so it's a real beast.

Sunday the 26th of July still has a big 10ft swell from the W in the morning (energy 3395), but the wind goes cross-shore, making it lumpy. The afternoon is the standout for the whole period. The swell drops to a still-chunky 8ft from the W with a 14-second period, and the wind swings to a light cross-offshore from the ESE. The combined energy is 2534, and the conditions are called excellent for experienced surfers. This is your window if you have the skill and the nerve. The light wind will keep it clean, and that long period will give you some proper power lines.

After that, the wind goes absolutely nuts again. Monday the 27th through to Wednesday the 29th of July are all blown out by gale-force cross-offshore or cross-shore winds. Not worth your time.

Thursday the 30th of July brings a 5ft swell from the W with a very long 19-second period in the afternoon (energy 3146), but the wind is a fresh cross-shore, creating a lumpy, messy chop. It's a marginal call.

The end of the period, from the 31st of July through to the 4th of August, is a mixed bag of huge, too-big swells (10ft to 13ft) and strong onshore winds. There are a few moments where the wind and tide are favorable, but the size is just too much for this spot. It's a strong maybe for the very experienced, but the consistent large swells and howling winds suggest the setup might be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing for most of the second week.

So to wrap it up: the first week is a bust until the afternoon of Sunday the 26th of July. That's the one true standout for experienced surfers. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too big.

Rusty.

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