Wharariki Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, listen up. Let's break down the next couple of weeks here at Wharariki Beach. It's a real rollercoaster, with some raw, powerful swells and a lot of flat, blown-out days. A few specific windows are worth the effort, but you'll have to be patient.

We start with a total mess on Friday, July 31st. A 10-foot to 12-foot W/SW swell is getting hammered by a 30-35 mph westerly gale. The water's about average for the season, but you won't be in it to feel it. The combined energy is massive at 1490 in the morning and 2964 in the afternoon, but it's all for nothing with that wind. This is a day for watching the chaos, or for kitesurfers, not paddlers.

Saturday, August 1st calms down, but it's still marginal. A 7-foot W swell on Saturday morning with a 13-second period, and a clean 12 mph offshore from the SE. The combined energy is still strong at 1499, but the conditions are just okay. Saturday afternoon drops to 5 feet with a light 6 mph E wind, and the energy drops to 669. Not the best.

Sunday, August 2nd morning is the first real sneak peek. The swell drops to 3 feet from the west, but with a sweet 6 mph southerly offshore wind making it glassy. The combined energy is down to 254, so it's a small day, but it's a clean, fun window for a longboard. The period is 12 seconds, so there's enough push. Sunday afternoon fades out.

Then we get a massive, angry pulse on Monday, August 3rd. A 8-foot to 8-foot W swell with a huge 18-second period, but the wind is a brutal 28-31 mph WSW cross-offshore gale. The combined energy is sky-high at 3695 and 3584, but it's just too dangerous. This is a big, powerful groundswell that will be breaking straight and fast. Leave it for the experts.

Tuesday, August 4th is still big but messy, with 5-foot W swell and 12-15 mph cross-shore winds. The energy is 1282, but the onshore wind will chop it up. Not recommended.

From Wednesday, August 5th all the way through Saturday, August 15th, it's a grim run of tiny, weak, or wind-blown surf. The swell drops to 1 to 3 feet for most of that time, with periods ranging from 7 to 21 seconds, but the wind is all over the place – mostly cross-shore or onshore, and often strong. The combined energy is in the low hundreds (143 to 940), and it's all "poor surf conditions." There's a glimmer on Friday, August 7th, where the morning shows a 10-foot NW swell with a 10-second period and a clean ESE cross-offshore breeze at 15 mph, giving a combined energy of 1513. The file says "wind and tide favorable, but the swell is predicted to be too big for this break," so it's a serious, expert-only session. The afternoon is smaller at 8 feet, but still clean and a solid option for the experienced. That’s the one true standout.

After that, it's back to the doldrums. The rest of the run is a long gap of 1 to 3-foot surf with poor conditions, strong winds, and rain. No other real standouts here.

So, the best on offer: For the average surfer, Sunday, August 2nd morning is your best bet for a clean, fun, small wave. For the experienced crew looking for a serious challenge, Friday, August 7th is the date to circle. The rest of the two weeks is a long, blank stretch of blown-out or tiny surf. It's a tough outlook, but that's the coast for ya.

Rusty.

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