Whangamata Estuary Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the Whangamata Estuary.

First up, the water temp is sitting at 59°F which is pretty much spot on for the time of year, so nothing unusual there.

I’ll be straight with you – this forecast is a struggle. The whole 16-day run is a flat spell. We’ve got tiny, weak swells and the energy is just not there. The 27th of July kicks off with a tiny 1ft swell from the ESE, but it’s a long period 13-second groundswell, so there’s a bit of push behind it, but the combined energy is only 58 – that’s weak. The wind is cross-off, but the waves are just too small to get excited about. It’s a no-go.

The next few days are more of the same. Tuesday the 28th has a glassy 1ft wave in the afternoon, clean as a whistle, but it’s still tiny. Wednesday the 29th afternoon is glassy again with a 2ft swell, but it’s described as “surfable but very ordinary”. It’s not worth the paddle.

We get a bit of a pulse on Friday the 31st morning. The swell jumps to 4ft from the north, with a short 8-second period, and the combined energy hits 210 (moderate). The wind is offshore at 12 mph, which is clean. But it’s a short-period swell, so it’s going to be a bit lumpy and weak. Still, this is the best you’ll see in the whole run. It’s a beginner-friendly size, but don’t expect any quality.

After that, it’s back to tiny dribble. From Saturday the 1st of August right through to the 11th of August, the swell drops below 2ft, mostly 0.7ft or 0.3ft, with combined energy under 30 – that’s very weak. There’s a very long 18-second period swell on the 6th and 7th, but it’s only 0.3ft, so it’s just a ripple. The wind is often cross-off or offshore, but it doesn’t matter when there’s nothing to ride.

The 10th of August has a tiny 2ft ESE swell with a 9-second period, and the afternoon is glassy. The energy is 70 – still weak. It’s clean, but tiny.

So, honestly, there’s no standout here. The only one that even registers is Friday the 31st of July morning, with a 4ft north swell and offshore wind. That’s your best bet, but it’s still only a “surfable but very ordinary” kind of day. The rest of the run is a flat spell. For an area like this, a long blank run is not unusual. Forecasts can change, but right now, the board stays in the car.

Rusty.

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