Whakatane Heads Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me break this down. I'm looking at what we've got and, honestly, it's a pretty bleak 16-day run for the Whakatane Heads. Things kick off with some small, weak surf but the conditions are just dogshit for most of it. The wind is all over the shop, usually onshore or cross-shore, and the swell is either tiny or coming in with a short, weak period that just won't hold up.

There's a bit of a pulse of energy showing up around Monday the 7th of September with that NNW swell pushing 7ft and moderate energy (654), but the wind is a messy cross-onshore, making it pretty choppy and poor. That's definitely one for the experts only, as it's over 8ft, and the wind will make it a real battle. The following day (Tuesday the 8th) drops back to a smaller 4ft with cross-shore wind, nothing special.

Honestly, the only window that looks like it could be a half-decent paddle is the morning of Saturday the 5th. We've got a clean 3ft swell from the NNW with a light cross-offshore breeze from the SW. It's only weak energy (93), but the conditions are clean. The water temp is sitting at 57°, which is about 1° cooler than normal for this time of year, so not a huge anomaly, but you'll still want a decent spring suit.

Because Whakatane Heads is a beach and reef setup, that long period stuff we see later (like on the 12th, 13th, and 14th) with periods over 13 seconds is mostly aimed at the NE. For a spot like this, those long-period NE swells can be a bit too straight for the beach, but they might offer a cleaner wave on the reef if the tide is right. The wind is light offshore or glassy for those mornings, but the swell size is tiny (0.7ft to 1ft), so really only a longboard or a skimboard will get you going.

There's almost nothing to get excited about in the second week. It's a long stretch of small, weak surf with mostly clean wind but just no energy behind it.

If you're after anything with grunt, you're going to be let down. The bigger swell on Monday the 7th is a write-off for a good session because of the wind. The small, clean days are just too small. It's the kind of forecast where you don't bother checking the cam unless you're desperate for a splash on a longboard.

So, for the best of a bad lot: Saturday the 5th of September, early morning. The Whakatane Heads will have clean 3ft waves from the NNW. It's small, it's for the log or a fun egg. Don't expect any barrels, just a clean little ripple. Crowds are possible there on a weekend, so you might have a few friends out.

That's it. A real nothing burger of a forecast.

- Rusty

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