Whangamata Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, looking at the lineup for the next couple of weeks. Honestly, it’s a tough start. We’ve got a real dry spell coming in, with the first week basically offering nothing worthwhile. The good news is that it’s not a total write-off—there’s a solid pulse of swell on the way, but you’ll have to be patient. Let’s get into it.

We’re looking at a gap of about a week with no real surf on offer. The first proper chance to get wet doesn’t show up until the morning of Friday the 17th, and even then it’s just a tiny 1.0 ft swell from the ESE with a period of 17 seconds. The wind is light and cross-off from the WSW, so the surface will be clean, but the wave energy is weak (63). It’s surfable, but ordinary. That’s the best we’ve got for the first half of the month.

The real interest kicks off around Wednesday the 22nd, but there’s a big caveat. The swell pumps up to an enormous 18 ft from the ENE early on Wednesday morning, with a period of 11 seconds. The combined energy is massive (6980), and the wind is moderate cross-shore from the SSE. However, this is way too big for this break. It’s a beach/bar setup, and when it gets over 8 ft, it’s only for experts. The forecast says it’s too big for this spot, and I’d say the same. This continues into Wednesday afternoon with a 20 ft swell (10320) and Thursday with 15 ft swells (10677 and 6016). The wind is cross-off and light on Thursday, which would be ideal, but the size means this is a serious, heavy beast. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The standout window comes next. By Friday the 24th, the swell has dropped to a more manageable 10 ft from the ENE, still with an 11-second period. The afternoon session is where it’s at: glassy conditions, light wind from the WSW, and the wave energy is still substantial (2484). This is excellent for experienced surfers only. The water temperature is about 60°F, which is normal for the time of year, so a decent wetsuit is the go.

The best of the bunch, the one I’d be circling on the calendar, is Saturday the 25th. The swell drops to a still-chunky 7 ft from the E, period 11 seconds, with light offshore wind from the WSW in the morning. The wave energy is moderate (1136), and the conditions are clean. This is a solid, powerful groundswell with a long period, so it’s better suited to points and reefs than a beach break, but Whangamata Bar can handle it. The crowd factor is “sometimes,” so you might have some company, but it’s worth it. This is the pick of the 16 days. Sunday the 26th still offers good 5 ft to 4 ft waves from the E with light offshore and cross-off winds, still clean, but the energy is dropping (480 and 416).

After that, the swell fades into the last week of July, with the 27th offering only 3 ft waves and weak energy (193 to 207). It’s a clean finish but nothing to write home about.

So, to sum it up: blank for the first week, then a massive, dangerous swell mid-week that’s only for the brave, and a very solid, clean window from Friday the 24th through Sunday the 26th. My pick is Saturday the 25th morning—7 ft, E swell, offshore wind, and real power.

Rusty.

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