Waiwakaiho Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Waiwakaiho. It’s a sandbar set-up that’s fairly exposed to the WSW swell, and with that direction being the optimum, we’ve got a bit of a game on our hands for the next couple of weeks. The first real action isn’t here yet – the immediate period is a write-off with a big NNW wind and heavy rain on Friday the 24th, producing a messy 3.0m NW wind swell that’s just poor. You’d be a fool to paddle out. So we’ve got a quiet start.

Saturday the 25th is a bit of a mess too – a 5.5m beast in the afternoon with a strong cross-shore wind and a short period. That’s not for anyone but the kamikaze crew. The real standout starts on Sunday morning the 26th. The wind drops right off, and we get a clean, offshore breeze from the SE. The swell is a solid 3.0m from the west with a long 14-second period, and the combined energy is pumping at 3806 (moderate to strong). This is excellent for experienced surfers, but it’s over 2.5m, so experts only. The water temp is sitting at 15°, which is about average for this time of year. A clean, powerful groundswell with that offshore wind – that’s the session to aim for.

Sunday afternoon holds similar quality with a slightly smaller 2.4m wave, still clean and offshore. Monday the 27th keeps the run going – morning brings clean 2.0m surf with a light offshore, and the afternoon goes glassy at 1.8m. The wave energy is still decent (1042 to 1357). For a sandbar, that long-period groundswell might make things a bit straight, but the wind is so good it’s still a treat.

After that, the swell drops through the week. Tuesday the 28th is smaller and clean in the morning at 1.4m, but Wednesday and Thursday (29th & 30th) get pretty average – small, cross-on winds, and onshore junk. Friday the 31st brings a bit of a revival: morning is clean with a 2.1m WSW groundswell at 13 seconds, and an offshore cross-off wind. That’s a solid call for experienced surfers again.

Heading into the start of August, Saturday the 1st has a clean 2.0m morning with a light offshore, then the following week (Monday 3rd to Wednesday 5th) has some tidy windows – Monday morning is clean at 1.2m with a 14-second swell, and Tuesday the 4th is the pick of that run: 1.9m from the west-southwest, a very long 17-second period, and a clean offshore wind. The energy is strong at 2072. That’s your other standout – a long-period groundswell that will wrap nicely into the sandbar if it holds.

From Thursday the 6th onward, the swell fades to knee-to-waist high stuff – glassy mornings, but tiny. For a sandbar that’s inconsistent at times, this run of clean days is a real gem. If I had to pick one best on offer? Sunday morning the 26th – that 3.0m, 14-second groundswell with a light offshore is as good as it gets for the experts. For the less grommets, Tuesday morning the 4th with the 1.9m and 17-second period is the bigger, cleaner left-hander for the rest of us. Crowds might pop up sometimes, so keep an eye out.

Rusty.

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