Whangamata Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, with a look at the local surf for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, it’s quiet. We’re looking at a solid week of flat to tiny, messy conditions starting now, with nothing worth paddling out for until Monday the 24th. It’s a long stretch of poor surf, but that’s the hand we’ve been dealt for now.

The only spot on the radar is Whangamata Beach. It’s a pretty consistent break, and it’s exposed to swell, but the problem is the direction. The optimum swell direction is from the NE, but for the first week, we’ve got small, weak, short-period SE and E swells coming through. Combined wave energy is mostly in the double digits – as low as 12 – so there’s just no power.

Things start to shift on Monday the 24th. The morning looks *glassy*, with an offshore flow from the WSW and light airs. A little bump of 3ft from the NNW creeps in, but with only 6 seconds of period, it’s going to be weak and wonky. Still, it’s the first clean-looking window in a while. The afternoon gets some size, up to 5ft from the NNW, and the energy jumps to 301, which is moderate. But the wind swings cross-shore, and for a beach break like this, that’s not doing us any favors. This is more of a “maybe get wet for a paddle” than a good surf.

Monday the 24th morning is the best of a bad bunch early on, just because of the glassy conditions.

Now, hold on to your boards, because the real story is the tail end of the forecast. The standout windows are a long way off, but they look special.

On Thursday the 28th of August, Friday morning for you, we’ve got a glassy start with no wind at all. A 6ft swell from the ENE comes in with a combined energy of 468 – that’s moderate to strong – and 8-second period. It’s a bit dumpy for a beach break, and with that size, it’s getting into intermediate territory. The crowd factor here is “sometimes,” so you might have company. The quality score for this window is the highest we see until the real punch lands.

But the real gold is Saturday the 29th of August. This is the best on offer. The morning is glassy again, and we’ve got a solid 10ft swell from the E, with a very long period of 12 seconds, pushing the combined energy to a massive 3484. This is serious, long-period groundswell. At this size, it’s expert territory – too big for beginners. The period is long, so the sets will be well-spaced and powerful, which can make paddling out easier between waves. The afternoon cleans up with a light offshore wind from the WSW, dropping to 6ft but still a strong 12-second period and energy of 1517. This is where you want to be if you’ve got the skills.

For kite surfers, the days with that significant ENE swell on Thursday the 28th and the big Saturday the 29th, combined with the onshore winds on Friday and the sizeable waves, would be a great setup. For paddling, it’s all about Saturday.

So, the summary: a long flat spell until the 24th, then a few ordinary days, a promising but not perfect window on the 28th, and one absolute standout day for experienced surfers on Saturday the 29th of August.

Rusty.

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