Whangamata Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, looking at what's on the table for the next couple of weeks. It's a bit of a slow burner, so let's get into it.

First up, we're looking at Whangamata Beach. The water temp is sitting pretty average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there. The story for the next week or so is pretty grim to be honest. We've got a bit of a wait on our hands.

From Wednesday the 12th right through to the end of the following week, the surf is just not happening. The combined swell energy is weak, barely cracking 100 (408) on the first day but that's with a horrible short-period 6-second windswell from the NE and a nasty cross-onshore wind. It's a write-off. We then have a long stretch of tiny, weak waves, with energy readings dropping as low as 3 and 6. The swell is just too small, with heights from 0.3 ft to 2 ft, and the period is either short or middling. It's a real flat spell.

The best of a bad bunch looks like it'll be around Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th. The swell is still small, only about 4 ft to 4 ft, and the period is a short 7 seconds, so it's not going to have much punch. But the wind is the key here. On Friday afternoon we get a glassy session, and the combined energy is 144, which is weak but it's the best we'll see. Saturday morning looks clean with a light cross-offshore breeze and a 4 ft swell from the ENE. These are your only real chances for a paddle, and even then, it's going to be pretty ordinary.

After that, we drop right back into the doldrums. There's a massive gap of nothing from the 17th of August all the way through to the 26th, with only tiny dribbles of swell. You might get a clean, glassy morning on the 18th or 22nd, but with waves only 0.3 ft to 2 ft, you'll be floating, not surfing.

Then, right at the back end of the forecast, on Thursday the 27th of August, there's a flicker of hope. We see a pulse of 6 ft swell from the NNE, with a 7-second period, and an offshore wind. The combined energy jumps to 209, which is at least moderate. It's a long way out, so treat it as promising but not certain, but it's the only thing on the horizon that looks like proper surf.

So, for the next week, keep your expectations low. The Friday afternoon glass-off on the 14th is the standout, but it's not a classic. For the rest of it, the kite surfers might get more out of the wind than we will out of the waves.

Rusty.

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