Whakatane Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the next stretch.

To be straight with you, the outlook for Whakatane Heads is a bit of a tough read. Over the next 16 days, the overall pattern is dominated by very small, weak swells and poor conditions. The combined swell energy is staying low, mostly under 100 (weak energy), with only a few brief spikes. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, so nothing unusual there.

We kick off from Wednesday, August 19th, and it's flat. Expect tiny 0.3 ft swells and poor surf all through the week. The morning of the 20th and 21st are clean, but these waves are so small they're barely rideable. The breeze is light, but it's not enough to save the day.

Things won't get going until late in the second week. The first real standout arrives on the morning of Friday, August 28th. That's a solid 8 ft swell from the NNW, with a period of 8 seconds and a combined energy reading of 727 (strong). But, and it's a big but, the wind is howling onshore from the north at 19 mph, and it's light rain. This will be a messy, blown-out affair. At 8 ft, this is really only for the experts, and with the onshore wind, it's going to be a challenge. Later that afternoon, we see similar conditions with an 8 ft N swell.

The next interesting window is the morning of Saturday, August 29th. You'll see a 5 ft swell from the north, with a period of 8 seconds and moderate wave energy (331). The wind is light and cross-shore, so it's a little cleaner than Friday. The guidance says this spot is exposed to NNE swells, so this north swell isn't ideal, but it’s the best you'll see. Still, it's only a marginal forecast.

The morning of Sunday, August 30th, offers a 4 ft north swell with light cross-offshore winds, making for cleaner conditions. The energy is moderate (135). It's surfable, but very ordinary.

Moving into the first week of September, the swells drop back down. The mornings of September 1st, 2nd, and 3rd show some surfable waves with clean morning winds, but the swell sizes are tiny, around 2 ft to 3 ft. The energy is weak to moderate (108-158). The period is a long 10-11 seconds, but the direction is NE, which is a good match for the optimum. Still, these are small, very ordinary days.

Honestly, if you're desperate for a paddle, the cleanest early morning windows will be the only real options. The only thing that looks remotely interesting for the experienced crew is that Friday, August 28th, but the wind will ruin it. For the rest of us, it's a waiting game.

Rusty.

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