Whangamata Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve got to be straight with you – the next 16 days are a pretty lean stretch for the local banks. We’ve got a long quiet patch before things finally show a glimmer of life. Stick with me, and I’ll walk you through it.

The first real surf worth paddling out for doesn’t kick in until Saturday, 8 August at Whangamata Beach. That morning, a north swell pushes in at 5 ft with a period of 8 seconds. It’s not a standout groundswell, but the combined energy is moderate (309), and the wind is glassy – dead calm – which will leave the surface silky smooth. That’s your best bet for clean, fun waves. The early part of the day is looking good, but this is a shorter-period swell, so the waves will be a bit more crumbly and less powerful. The water is sitting at 58°, which is about average for this time of year. The afternoon holds similar conditions, 5 ft and glassy, with combined energy at 323. It’s not giant, but it’s clean, consistent, and very rideable for a beginner-friendly beach.

Before that, we’re in a drought. From Saturday morning, 1 August through to Friday afternoon, 7 August, the surf is tiny – under 2 ft – with weak energy readings mostly in the teens and twenties. There’s a glassy moment on Wednesday afternoon, 5 August, with 0.7 ft, but you’d be lucky to get a ride. That’s a full seven days of flat to near-flat conditions. Don’t bother.

After the promising Saturday, things go downhill fast. Sunday, 9 August brings onshore easterly winds at 16–19 mph, and the swell drops to 3 ft, but it’s choppy and lumpy. The combined energy (195) isn’t terrible, but the wind kills it. From Monday, 10 August through to Sunday, 16 August, the story is persistent onshore flow from the east and northeast, with winds often hitting 19–22 mph. Swell hovers between 1 ft and 3 ft, with periods under 10 seconds, and energy readings bounce between 31 and 208. It’s mostly messy, wind-affected, and honestly not worth the paddle. The one exception might be Sunday morning, 16 August, when the wind goes glassy again, but with only 1 ft of weak, short-period swell, it’s a long shot for a few knee-high runners.

So, the standout is undeniably Saturday, 8 August at Whangamata Beach. It’s a clean, glassy day with waist-high waves and a beginner-friendly vibe. If you’ve got a log or a funboard, that’s the morning to get out. The rest of the window is a write-off.

Rusty.

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