Wharariki Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. We’ve got a mixed bag coming up for Wharariki Beach, so let’s get into it.

First up, the water is sitting at 57°, which is about 2° warmer than the long-term average for this time of year. Nothing wild, just a touch warmer than usual.

The forecast starts on Wednesday, August 5th, with a small 2ft west swell at 13 seconds. The combined energy is moderate (212). It’s clean with a light NNW breeze, but honestly, it’s marginal. Not much to get excited about.

Thursday, August 6th, the swell drops right off to 1ft. The morning is glassy as glass with a SE breeze, but it’s tiny. The afternoon turns cross-shore and messy. Surfable, but very ordinary.

Friday, August 7th, through to Sunday, August 9th, is a write-off. The wind is onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell gets lumpy and choppy. It’s poor. The energy builds from 106 to 942, but it’s not doing us any favors with the wind. By Sunday morning, the swell hits 7ft, but it’s still cross-onshore and choppy.

Monday, August 10th, brings a change. The wind goes cross-offshore from the ESE at 16 mph, and the swell is a clean 5ft from the NNW. The energy is still strong (888). It’s clean, but the score is only marginal. It’s a step in the right direction.

Tuesday, August 11th, the swell drops back to 2ft, and the wind is a fresh 22 mph cross-offshore. Clean, but tiny and windy.

Now, here’s the first real standout. Wednesday, August 12th, in the morning. Glassy as glass with a southerly breeze at 3 mph. The swell is 2ft from the west, but the period is a very long 16 seconds. The energy is solid (493). That long period will make for some nice, clean lines at the beach. The scores say “expect good surf conditions”. This is the best we’ve seen so far.

From Thursday, August 13th, through to the end of the first week, the wind turns cross-onshore and the swell gets bigger but choppier. It’s a bit of a mess.

Now, for the second week, we have a massive swell starting on Friday, August 14th. The swell is 8ft from the west, with a very long 18-second period. The energy is huge (3996). The wind is cross-offshore and clean. But, here’s the thing: the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. The score says it’s marginal. This is only for experts.

Saturday, August 15th, is even bigger: 13ft west swell, 19-second period, and the energy is absolutely pumping (12510). Again, the guidance says it’s too big for Wharariki. This is expert territory only, and honestly, with that much power and a 25 mph cross-offshore wind in the afternoon, it might be more interesting for the kite surfers than paddle surfers.

The swell drops back through the rest of the week. Sunday, August 16th, is 8ft, and by Monday, August 17th, it’s 5ft. The wind is light and variable, but the swell is still big.

The next real highlight is Wednesday, August 20th, in the morning. A 3ft west swell with a very long 19-second period. The wind is offshore from the SSE at 6 mph. The energy is solid (814). The scores say “expect very good surf conditions.” This is another standout. Clean, offshore, and a long-period groundswell. That’s the kind of morning you set the alarm for.

So, the best on offer? Wednesday, August 12th for a glassy, clean morning session on the small side, and Wednesday, August 20th for a clean, offshore morning with a long-period swell. Those are the ones to circle on the calendar.

Rusty.

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