Whangamata Estuary Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cooking at Whangamata Estuary.

First off, the water temp is sitting around 60°F, which is pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year. No surprises there.

Right, so we’ve got a bit of a slow start, but there’s some fun waves on the way. The best bet for the upcoming weekend is the Friday afternoon. The swell is coming in at 4ft from the east, with a solid 10-second period, and the wind is glassy from the northeast – that’s clean, clean, clean. The combined energy is a moderate 446, so there’s enough grunt to get you into a few. This is the pick of the early period for sure.

Saturday morning is looking similar, with 4ft east swell and a longer 12-second period. Again, glassy conditions with a slight northeast breeze. The energy is still strong at 487. But watch out – Saturday afternoon shifts to a rain shower and a cross-shore wind from the north-northeast at 12 mph, which will chop it up and make for poor conditions.

Sunday morning is the next real standout. Clean conditions with a light offshore wind from the west-southwest at 3 mph, and 4ft east swell at a 10-second period. It won’t be huge, but it’ll be tidy, with moderate energy (334). That early session is the go. Sunday afternoon sees a cross-shore wind come in, so it’ll drop off.

After that, the week gets pretty ordinary. Monday and Tuesday have small, weak surf with shifting winds and poor conditions – you’re looking at a real lull from around Monday afternoon through till the following Friday. The wave energy drops right off, into the double digits, so don’t bother paddling out. There’s a gap of about 4 to 5 days where it’s basically flat and messy.

Now, if you can hold out, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. On Wednesday the 15th of July, the morning session looks good. A clean 5ft swell from the north-northeast, glassy wind from the southeast, and moderate wave energy at 278. The period is short though, only 6 seconds, so it’ll be a bit crumbly – better for a beach break like this where you can still find a bank. It’s not a classic groundswell, but it’s the best wave in the second week.

Then, Saturday the 18th of July is a real standout. The morning is dead calm, absolutely glassy, with a 6ft swell from the east at 11 seconds. The combined energy is a strong 664. This is the best swell of the outlook, with absolutely no wind. It’ll be clean, powerful, and shoulder-high-plus. Saturday afternoon is still glassy with 5ft from the east and energy at 496, so that whole day is the one to circle on your calendar.

Keep in mind, this spot is listed as inconsistent, so you’ve got to be patient and pick your windows. It’ll be worth it for those couple of sessions. The crowds are sometimes an issue here, but with the patchy surf, it might not be too bad.

Stay stoked, look for those clean morning windows, and don't waste your time on the junky days.

Rusty.

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