Whangamata Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again. Let’s run through it in feet and miles.

Look, I’ll level with you. The next 16 days at Whangamata Bar are going to test your patience. There’s a big dry spell right off the bat, and the good moments are few and far between. You’re mostly looking at wind-blown, low-energy slop, with a couple of golden windows if you time it right.

The first real chance to get the board wet is Friday morning, August 14th. We’ve got a 5-foot swell from the ENE, but it’s a short-period 7 seconds, so it’ll be a bit lumpy and raw. The saving grace is a glassy 3 mph wind from the NE – that keeps the surface clean and lets the Bar do its thing. The combined swell energy is a moderate 390, so there’s enough to push you around. Water temp is 59°, right on the money for this time of year.

But the absolute standout is Sunday, August 16th. The morning serves up a solid 6-foot swell from the East (9-second period) with a clean, cross-offshore breeze from the SW at 9 mph. That’s a proper combo for the Bar. The afternoon is even cleaner: glassy, light winds, and a tidy 5-foot swell with 380 wave energy. This is the session. It’s a bit much for learners, but for anyone comfortable in solid head-high waves, this is the best of the whole forecast.

After that, it’s a long, slow fade. From Monday the 17th onward, it’s mostly small, wind-chopped, or completely flat. Energy values tank – we’re talking 26 and even 6 later on – that’s barely a ripple. The only other flicker is Wednesday, August 19th morning with another glassy morning and a tiny 2-foot swell, but honestly, it’s not worth stressing about.

If you’re going to make a move, hit the Friday glass-off or Sunday. The rest of the run? The Bar is more interesting for the kite crew when the SE and ESE winds kick up in the second week. The long-range stuff at the end (22nd onward) shows some long-period groundswell (13 seconds), but the energy is so weak (10) that it’s just a tease.

Rusty.

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