Whangamata Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s cookin’ at Whangamata Bar.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start but things will kick off nicely this Friday morning. The wind is dead calm – glassy as – and we’re looking at a solid 4ft easterly swell with an 11-second period. That’s genuine groundswell, so the waves will have some push and nice shape. The water’s sitting right on 60°, which is spot-on average for the season. The combined swell energy is showing 377 (moderate), so there’s enough juice to have some fun. Whangamata Bar is a beach/bar setup, fairly exposed to the swell, and this east direction is a good angle. Crowds are a sometimes thing here, so don’t be surprised if you’ve got company. Friday morning is the standout of the whole run – get it while it’s clean.

Friday afternoon stays glassy with the same 4ft swell, period easing just a tick to 10 seconds but still solid. Saturday morning is another beauty with glassy conditions, 4ft east swell and a nice 12-second period, pushing the energy up to 487 (moderate). This is your second-best window. Saturday afternoon gets messy though – rain showers and a 12 mph northerly cross-shore chop it right up. Not worth it.

Sunday morning cleans up again with glassy conditions and 3ft east swell at 10 seconds, energy at 270 (moderate). It’s smaller but still fun for a grovel. Sunday afternoon gets a cross-shore breeze, so it’s a no-go.

Monday brings a bit of a mixed bag. Morning has a 4ft north swell but with short 7-second period and 12 mph cross-offshore wind. It’ll be clean but pretty weak and junky – energy at 282 (moderate). Afternoon drops to 2ft but with a nice 11-second east swell and light cross-offshore wind – surfable but ordinary.

Tuesday through Thursday of next week are mostly poor or marginal. A few clean windows on Wednesday afternoon (4ft east, 10 seconds, light cross-off) but nothing to get excited about. Friday the 10th has glassy conditions in the afternoon with 2ft east swell and 10 seconds – small and clean but very ordinary, energy down to 107.

Then we hit a real quiet patch. From Saturday the 11th through to Tuesday the 14th, the swell drops right off. We’re talking 2ft or less. Energy numbers are in the double digits – 97, 70, 31, 25. That’s a 4-day stretch of barely anything. No good surf on offer there.

Wednesday the 15th brings a sudden spike to 5ft but it’s a short-period northeast windswell at 6 seconds and a 9 mph cross-shore – that’s choppy and bumpy, poor conditions. Thursday the 16th morning has a genuine standout though: glassy, 5ft east-northeast swell but with only a 6-second period. The energy is 279 (moderate). It’ll be clean but short period – more like a windswell, so the waves will be a bit bumpy and close together. Not as good as the Friday before.

The last few days, the 17th and 18th, are ruled out by strong cross-onshore and cross-offshore winds, with a bit of swell but poor quality overall.

Bottom line: Friday morning July 3rd and Saturday morning July 4th are the clear winners. Glassy, decent wave height, good period, moderate energy. After that, it’s mostly average or flat until maybe Thursday the 16th morning, which is a dark horse with clean but short-period waves.

Stay on it, the ocean can always surprise you.

Rusty.

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