Whakatane Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about the Whakatane Heads stretch for the next two weeks.

The first few days are a bit of a dud. Saturday the 8th is a no-go: a tiny 0.7ft swell with a cross-onshore breeze, just a mess. Sunday the 9th builds to a messy 6ft in the afternoon, but it's blown out by a moderate cross-onshore. The energy is moderate (230) but the wind ruins it.

Monday morning the 10th finally cleans up. We’ve got a cross-offshore breeze and a 5ft groundswell from the NNW. The energy is moderate (373) and the water is a bit colder than usual for this time of year at 56°. It’s not perfect, but it’s the first real chance to get wet. The afternoon gets sloppy again.

Tuesday the 11th and Wednesday the 12th are small and weak—mostly 3ft to 4ft of poor, short-period junk. Not worth it.

Now, the real highlight of the first week: Friday morning the 14th. We’ve got glassy conditions, a 5ft swell from the NNW, and a solid combined energy of 486. It’s a groundswell with a 7-second period, so it’ll have some shape, but it’s a bit short for a perfect point. The morning is glassy, the afternoon is glassy. This is the best window. The swell is 5ft, so it’s a solid intermediate size, nothing too heavy.

After that, it goes flat. From Saturday the 15th all the way through the 22nd, we’re looking at tiny, weak surf. Swell heights are below 2ft for days, and the energy readings are in the double digits (29 to 98). It’s a long, flat spell. Kite surfers might get a kick, but for paddle surfing, it’s a bust.

But hold onto your wetsuit, because the forecast has a big one. Sunday morning the 23rd is the real standout. We’re looking at 7ft of long-period swell from the N at 13 seconds, with a massive combined energy of 1271. That’s a powerful groundswell. The wind is a light offshore from the south, meaning clean, open faces. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. It’s over 7ft, so it’s expert territory. The long period (13 seconds) means lots of energy and longer lulls. The Sunday afternoon picks up to 7ft, but the wind goes onshore, so the morning is the time.

The crowds at Whakatane Heads can pop up sometimes, so don’t expect to be alone on that Sunday morning, but for a clean, powerful groundswell like that, it’s worth it.

Rusty out.

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