Whakatane Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s on the cards for Whakatane Heads over the next couple of weeks. I’ve gotta be straight with you – the immediate future is looking pretty grim, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We’ve got a dry spell for the first week, then things start to wake up.

The water temp is sitting at 57.4°F, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing too crazy there.

First up, the here and now. From Friday afternoon right through to the following Thursday morning, it’s a complete write-off. There’s barely a ripple on the board, with the odd day seeing a tiny 0.7ft to 1ft of slop. The energy is all weak, and the winds are mostly light but not helping. Friday the 31st has a cross-on breeze with 5.6ft of short-period junk, but with poor surf conditions, I wouldn't even bother getting the wetsuit on. We’re looking at a solid week of nothing.

Then, on Friday the 7th of August, the ocean finally starts to breathe. It’s not great, but it's something. We get a 3.3ft swell at 6 seconds, with a clean morning and light offshore winds. Energy is moderate, and it’s surfable, but very ordinary. Saturday the 8th is where it starts to get interesting. Overnight, a new pulse of swell fills in. Saturday morning sees 5.6ft at 8 seconds from the NNE, and it’s clean with a light offshore. The energy is now moderate. This is a proper surf, but that period is short, so expect it to be a bit crumbly. It’s still the best we’ve had in a while. Sunday morning keeps the good times rolling with 4.3ft at 8 seconds and clean conditions, but that’s about where the run ends. By Sunday afternoon and into Monday and Tuesday, the wind swings onshore and things get messy again, with rain and building wind. The swell gets bigger – Tuesday the 11th has a proper 7.9ft pulse from the NE with a 12-second period, but the onshore wind and rain ruin it. The energy is strong, but it's a washing machine out there. That one’s for the masochists only.

Wednesday and Thursday are still poor with strong winds, and that’s when things start to get a bit weird.

Now here’s the standout. The real prize is Saturday the 15th of August. We’ve got a 6.6ft swell from the N with an 8-second period, and it’s looking clean with a cross-off breeze. Energy is moderate. This is the best looking day of the whole run. The forecast says "very good surf conditions" and I’m inclined to believe it. It’s a beach and reef setup (Whakatane Heads), so with that short period, keep an eye out for it closing out on the beach, but the reef should handle it. This is the one to point the car towards. Saturday afternoon also cleans up with a 5.9ft from the NNW and a moderate offshore – also a good option if you miss the morning.

So, to sum up: the next week is dead. Don’t get your hopes up. But next Saturday the 15th is the day. It’s a long way off, so don’t book the day off work yet, but it’s got the most potential by a country mile. Keep an eye on the forecast, and I’ll see you in the water.

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