Whangamata Estuary Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s break down what’s on offer.

Well, the next couple of weeks are gonna be a mixed bag for sure. The standout window is actually the very first session we’ve got – Sunday morning, July 5th. That’s the pick of the whole run. We’ve got a clean 5 ft swell coming from the NNE with a 9 mph offshore breeze from the West. The water temp is sitting at 60°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, nothing unusual there. The wave energy is moderate at 375, but the combo of that clean offshore wind and the swell size makes for a really fun, surfable morning at Whangamata Estuary.

The only real caveat is that this spot can be inconsistent, and crowds are possible, so you’ll want to get out there early. That Sunday morning is your best chance for a proper session.

Moving into Sunday afternoon, the wind swings onshore and the swell drops, so it gets pretty marginal. Monday morning, July 6th, sees a bigger 7 ft swell from the North, which is now getting into the size that might be a bit much for beginners, but the wind is cross-offshore so it’ll still be clean. The wave energy jumps to 846, which is moderate-to-strong, but the period is only 7 seconds, so it’ll be a bit lumpy and lack the real punch of a longer period groundswell. Monday afternoon drops right off again.

From Tuesday morning, July 7th, through to the end of the first week and into the second, we hit a real flat spell. There are several days with barely any surfable energy. The swell shrinks to below 3 ft, often below 2 ft, and the combined energy drops into the double digits (like 34 or 31). It’s just not doing anything.

We do see a little glimmer on Wednesday morning, July 15th, with glassy conditions and a 1 ft swell, but the period is a very long 13 seconds – that’s proper groundswell, which tends to go pretty straight on a beach/bar setup. It’s not gonna produce much. The next morning, July 16th, has a tiny 1 ft ESE swell with offshore wind, but again, barely enough to ride.

Later, heading into the weekend of July 19th and into July 20th, a big pulse arrives. Monday morning, July 20th, shows a massive 12 ft NNE swell with fresh cross-shore winds at 22 mph, and the energy is a whopping 1747. By Monday afternoon, it’s 13 ft with 25 mph winds and energy at 2793. This is serious size – expert only territory, and honestly, with that much wind and a cross-shore direction, it’s going to be a messy, lumpy mess. That setup is way more interesting for the kite crew than for a paddle surfer.

So to sum it up: grab that small window Sunday morning, July 5th, for some clean, fun waves. The rest of the first week is poor, and the second week is a long, drawn-out flat spell with one big, stormy episode right at the end that’s only for the brave (or the kite surfers).

Rusty.

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