Whakatane Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for the Whakatane Heads.

First off, the water temp is sitting at 60°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year. Nothing special there.

The first few days are a bit of a tease. Friday the 3rd and Saturday the 4th are seeing tiny little waves, only 2 ft, from the ENE with periods around 10 to 12 seconds. The combined energy is weak too – only 84 on Friday morning, bumping up to a modest 120 on Saturday morning. It’s clean enough with light offshore winds, but honestly, it's just "surfable" at best. Nothing to get excited about.

Now, Sunday the 5th morning is where it starts to look interesting. We get a jump to 5 ft from the N, but the period is short – only 7 seconds. That’s windswell, not groundswell, so expect lumpy, gutless waves. The combined energy climbs to 263, which is moderate, and the cross-off wind from the WSW keeps things clean. It’s the best offering in a pretty flat week, but don’t expect perfection. This is about as good as it gets for the next little while.

Then Monday the 6th turns nasty. Heavy rain, strong NNW winds at 30 km/h, and the swell jumps to 7 ft from the N. That’s a blown-out mess. Combined energy hits 400, but with the wind howling cross-onshore, it’s just rubbish. This setup would actually be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Tuesday the 7th sees a drop back to 3 ft from the NE with a 9-second period. Light ESE winds keep it clean, but it’s still just mediocre. Wednesday the 8th morning shapes up better with 5 ft from the NE, a clean 15 km/h offshore from the S, and moderate combined energy of 273. That’s the standout of the week – clean, offshore, and a bit of push. It’s still only a 8-second period, so it’s not gonna be world-class, but it’ll be fun.

After that, it all fades away. From the 9th of July right through to the 18th, the swell drops to tiny 0.3 ft to 2 ft waves with very weak combined energy (often under 100). Winds are mostly offshore or glassy, which would be great if there was any swell, but there just isn’t. You’re looking at a long gap of about 10 days with no real surf on offer.

The one standout in this whole 16-day window is Wednesday the 8th morning. You’ve got 5 ft NE swell, clean from the S offshore, and moderate energy. If you’re keen, that’s your best shot. The rest? Leave the board in the car and go for a coffee.

Rusty.

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