Whangamata Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for the Whangamata Beach stretch over the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, I’ve gotta be honest with ya—this is a grim run of swell. We’re looking at a real dry spell here. The first decent bump that even gets a score doesn’t show up until Saturday morning, the 30th of August, and even then it’s only scoring a 1 out of 10. So there’s a bit of a wait. From now until that point, the wave energy is weak as, with combined energy values sitting between 35 and 54, and the swell is small, short-period junk mostly from the north. The wind is messy too—cross or cross-on—so you’re better off savin’ the gas.

Now, Saturday the 30th and Sunday the 31st are the only windows worth paddlin’ out in the whole 16-day outlook. They’re not world-class by any stretch, but when the pickin’s this thin, you take what you can get. On Saturday the 30th, the morning starts with a WSW offshore wind blowing at 19 mph, and the swell ticks up a little, with combined energy hitting 197. Swell is 4 ft from the NNE with a period of 8 seconds. It’s clean waves, but the energy is still pretty ordinary. By the afternoon, the wind stays offshore, and the swell shifts to the NE at 4 ft, with energy climbing to 243. The waves will be clean and lined up for the beach break, but keep your expectations in check—it’s not gonna be firing.

That Sunday the 31st, morning session looks best of the whole lot. Swell drops back to 3 ft from the NE, but the period stretches out to 9 seconds, and you’ve got that steady SW offshore wind at 16 mph. Combined energy is only 99, so it’s mellow, but clean and surfable for a beginner or someone keen for a longboard glide. The water temp is sitting at 58°, which is about average for this time of year—nothing weird there, just your standard chilly spring water.

After that, it’s back to the doldrums. From Monday the 31st afternoon all the way through to late on the 8th of September, everything is either tiny, short period, or blown out. There’s a bit of a spike on the 8th of September with a 7 ft north swell rolling in, but the wind is a fresh cross-shore at 19 mph, which means lumpy, chop-topped mess. Combined energy hits a massive 833, suggesting plenty of power, but with that wind and short 8-second period, it’s going to be a washing machine. Honestly, that setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing—too much wind and swell for the average punter to get a clean ride.

On the 9th of September, Wednesday morning, the wind swings offshore (WSW 12 mph) and the swell sits at 4 ft from the north with 8 seconds, but combined energy is 202. It’s clean but still pretty average in quality—surfable but nothing to write home about. After that, the 10th of September sees the swell absolutely vanish to 0.7 ft, and it stays tiny right through to the end of the forecast on the 12th of September.

The standout window? Honestly, there’s only one true highlight in this whole stretch: Sunday the 31st of August morning at Whangamata Beach. It’s small, yes, but it’s clean with offshore wind, and that’s your best shot this side of the month. For a beginner, those 3 ft NE swell waves with a 9-second period and glassy offshore wind are perfect. Even if you’re more experienced, it’s the only time the stars line up for a proper clean session. The crowd factor is listed as “sometimes,” so you might share it with a few locals, but it won’t be a circus.

After that, the 9th of September morning is your second look—bigger at 4 ft, also offshore, but the period is shorter, so the waves will be a bit more disorganised. That one is more for the intermediates willing to work for it.

So in short: wait until the 31st of August, get in the water early Sunday morning, and make the most of it. After that, keep your board in the car and your eyes on the forecast—things might change.

Rusty.

Read more