Whangamata Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here.

Look, to be honest, the next week and a half is a bit of a mixed bag for Whangamata Beach. We’ve got some reasonable swell on the way, but the wind is going to mess with it for a few days. The water temp is sitting around 59°, which is pretty much average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first few days are a write-off. Monday the 6th and Tuesday the 7th are a no-go with onshore junk and rain. The swell is there – up to 7 ft – but it’s messy, short-period (7 to 8 seconds) and wind-affected. Not worth your time.

Things start to turn around on Wednesday the 8th. That’s our first real highlight. Wednesday morning we get a clean, 5 ft swell from the NNE with a light cross-offshore breeze. By the afternoon, it goes glassy with a true offshore from the SW, 5 ft, and the period edges up to 10 seconds. The combined energy is solid at 844 (moderate) – it’ll have some push. This is the best window of the near-term. The break faces NE, and the wind is coming from the optimum direction, so it’s going to be clean and lined up. It’s a beach break, so it’ll be punchy and fun. Crowds are "sometimes" an issue here, but on a Wednesday in July, you might score a few less people.

Thursday the 9th is small and clean – 3 ft, glassy by the afternoon – but the energy is low (185). You’ll catch something but it’s not a standout. Friday the 10th through to Monday the 13th are all tiny and flat. Swell drops to 1 ft – don’t bother. That’s a four-day gap with nothing worth paddling out for.

Now, hold onto your board, because Thursday the 16th is a wild card. We’ve got a big 10 ft pulse from the NE, but the period is short at 8 seconds and the wind is cross-onshore, making it choppy. The energy is huge at 1089 (strong), but the quality is poor. Only for the experts if you’re desperate for a paddle. The afternoon is slightly better with a glassy wind, but it’s still a 10 ft freight train with a marginal tide call. This setup at a beach break with that much short-period energy is going to be a washing machine. Might actually be more fun for the kite crew than paddle folk.

Friday the 17th is the clear winner of the whole outlook. The morning sees a clean 6 ft from the ENE with a light offshore from the WSW. The period is a solid 9 seconds, and the combined energy is 504 (moderate). Then it gets even better: Friday afternoon is dead glassy – 0 mph wind – with a 4 ft ENE swell and a 9-second period. That is about as clean as it gets for Whangamata Beach. The swell direction matches the optimum NE, so expect some great shaped waves. This is your standout. Mark it on the calendar. After that, the swell fades fast into tiny surf from Saturday the 18th onwards, and we’re back to small, wind-affected dribble through to Tuesday the 21st.

So, bottom line: Wednesday the 8th is a solid mid-week score, but Friday the 17th is the gem. Get on it.

Rusty.

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