Whangamata Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll level with you – the next week or so at Whangamata Bar is a bit of a write-off for a proper paddle. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, weak swell and cross-off winds that just aren’t giving us anything to work with. From Tuesday the 4th right through to Sunday the 9th, it’s all knee-high mush, or worse, with the combined energy barely cracking 20 or 30 (mostly 20–49). You’d be kidding yourself to even take the board off the roof. The water temp is sitting at 58°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Then Monday the 10th rolls in, and things finally wake up. Overnight a nice 7ft, 10-second groundswell from the NNE pushes through, and the combined energy jumps to 844 – that’s proper energy. The morning is clean with a light offshore breeze from the west. That’s the standout window, no question. It’s a beach/bar break, so with that long period (10 seconds) it should be holding shape, but it’s also going to be pushing well over 5ft, so this is intermediate territory – beginners might find it a handful. Afternoon sees the wind shift to a light cross-onshore from the SE, and the swell drops to 6ft – still surfable, but a bit lumpier.

Tuesday the 11th and Wednesday the 12th are a step down. The swell hangs around 4ft to 5ft, but the wind is onshore from the east on Tuesday, making a mess of it. Wednesday morning goes glassy, which is nice, but the swell is only 4ft and the combined energy is down to 224 – just ordinary, ridable waves. Nothing to get excited about.

Thursday the 13th is more of the same – 4ft, clean with a light offshore in the afternoon, but the energy is low (184–185). Then Friday the 14th we get a bit of a spike: 7ft from the ENE in the afternoon, but the period is a short 7 seconds and the wind is a moderate cross-off from the SW at 12 mph. The combined energy hits 501, but that short period means it’s going to be a bit jumbled and less punchy. Good for a strong paddle if you’re keen, but not the best quality.

Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th settle back into a 5ft to 6ft ENE swell, with period picking up to 8–10 seconds. The wind is light and cross-off or glassy, so conditions are clean. The combined energy sits between 233 and 386 – decent, surfable waves for a solid session, but not epic. By Sunday afternoon, it’s glassy as, and the swell is still 5ft – that’s a nice, mellow afternoon.

Monday the 17th morning brings a 5ft, 9-second E swell with glassy conditions and a combined energy of 575 – that’s another genuine highlight. Clean, punchy, and good energy. The afternoon though, the wind swings onshore from the ENE, spoiling it.

After that, the second week of the forecast sees the swell drop back. Tuesday the 18th has 4ft, glassy morning, offshore in the afternoon – clean but small. Wednesday the 19th is a blowout: 19–22 mph offshore winds, but the swell is only 3ft, so it’s a choppy, windy mess with no power. A proper kite day, not a surf day.

So, the real standout is Monday 10th August morning – that 7ft, 10-second NNE groundswell with light offshore wind is the one to pencil in. The crowd profile at the bar says “sometimes”, so you might have a few lads out, but it’s worth the paddle. The other one to eye is Sunday 16th afternoon and Monday 17th morning – both glassy, with solid 5ft–5ft E swell – clean and fun.

Rusty.

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