Whangamata Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for surf around Whangamata Bar. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, weak surf ahead, so if you’re hanging for waves, you might want to find another project for a while.

The water’s sitting right on average for this time of year at 59°F, so no drama there. But the ocean itself is looking flat and tired. We kick off with nothing on Saturday afternoon – 0.7ft of slop with a long 11-second period and barely any energy in the water (13). It’s clean, but that doesn’t matter when there’s nothing to ride.

Sunday’s much the same – 0.7ft, weak (9), clean but empty. Monday morning we get a little bump to 4ft from the north with a short 7-second period and moderate energy (164), but the 25 km/h north-northwest cross-offshore wind will have it all over the place, so it’s not worth the paddle out.

Then we get the one real chance of the whole stretch. Monday afternoon, the 5th of September, the swell pushes up to 6ft from the north, still a short 8-second period, but the energy jumps into the strong zone (538). With a light west-northwest offshore breeze, it’ll be clean and lined up. It’s not huge, but it’s the best we’re going to see. The offshore wind is the key here – it should keep the faces tidy. Still, a short-period swell like this at a beach/bar break can be a bit lumpy, so don’t expect perfection.

After that, it’s a steep drop-off. Tuesday morning has 3ft of weak northerly swell (139), glassy but ordinary. From there, we slide back into frustration. The energy just dies – we’re talking single and double-digit energy readings (60, 54, 71, 36) with wave heights mostly between 0.7ft and 2ft. It’s offshore and clean for long stretches, but it’s all for nothing when there’s no swell to push through.

We grind through the rest of the first week and into the second with nothing but knee-high dribble. The energy stays weak, mostly under 100, with a few pathetic attempts like Wednesday the 16th afternoon – 2ft from the north with a 7-second period (92). Just not worth it.

Honestly, the whole 16-day window is a bust. Whangamata Bar is inconsistent at the best of times, and this is one of those stretches where it just doesn’t fire. It’s not unusual for this stretch of coast to go quiet like this. You wait, you watch the charts, and eventually, something comes back around. For now, I’d say park the board.

Stay patient, folks.

Rusty.

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