Whakatane Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about what’s on offer for the local stretch. We’ve got a classic Bay of Plenty setup on the cards, but don’t get too excited too early – this is a story of one good morning, then a long, quiet spell.

The best bet by far is Monday, August 10th. Whakatane Heads is the only spot in the game, and Monday morning is where it’s at. We’re looking at a solid 6 ft of swell rolling in from the NNW, with a period of 8 seconds. That’s a moderate groundswell, packing a decent punch with a combined energy of 488. The wind is a light 6 mph from the SW, which is a cross-off breeze. That means clean lines, no chop. This is the standout session. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no major surprises there. This is a spot for advanced surfers only though – that 6 ft swell at a beach and reef setup can be a handful. Crowds are possible, so get out early.

Monday afternoon sees the swell drop to 5 ft, and the wind swings more cross-shore. It’s still surfable, but the quality dips.

Tuesday, August 11th morning brings a smaller 4 ft swell from the north, with a sweet offshore wind from the SSW. The waves are clean, but the energy is only moderate (184). You’ll get a few, but it’s nothing special.

From Tuesday afternoon onwards, it’s a grim outlook. The swell drops, the winds get messy, and the combined energy plummets. We’re looking at a long stretch of poor surf conditions from the 11th of August all the way through to the 25th. There’s a gap of nearly two weeks where the surf just isn’t worth paddling out for. The swell stays small, rarely cracking 3 ft, and the period is short, often under 8 seconds. This is weak, wind-affected junk. The wind stays onshore or cross-shore for most of that period, and the combined energy readings are in the low hundreds or even double digits – that’s not a surf, that’s a lake.

There’s a tiny blip of hope on Sunday, August 23rd morning, with a glassy 1 ft swell, but it’s a non-event. The period is a pathetic 5 seconds. Not worth a look.

Bottom line: Monday morning, August 10th, at Whakatane Heads. That’s your one-hit wonder. After that, the forecast is a write-off until the very end of the window, where we see a slight uptick in swell on the 25th, but still with poor conditions and a score of zero. It’s a long wait.

Rusty.

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