Whangamata Estuary Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what the next couple of weeks are serving up for us. Gotta be straight with you – it's a grim stretch ahead for the Whangamata Estuary. We're looking at a solid run of flat to tiny, weak surf with not much to get excited about for the entire 16-day outlook. The first real week has almost nothing, and the second week doesn't offer any redemption either. It's a long, quiet spell.

The first session worth mentioning is on Saturday, July 11th, but honestly, it's a tough one. You're looking at a weak 3-ft swell from the ESE, with a period of 10 seconds. The combined energy is decent enough at 201 (moderate), but it's messy – a light cross-shore wind will have it looking poor. This is a break for the beginners, but the quality is just not there. The next glimmer of hope comes later on Sunday, July 12th. The afternoon goes glassy with a tiny 2-ft from the E, with a period of 9 seconds. The energy drops right off to a weak 43, but that glassy wind is a real positive for clean, small waves. A longboard might have some fun if you're desperate.

After that, we're into a long stretch of gutless surf. The combined energy values drop down to the teens and twenties, with wave heights barely cracking 1-ft. It's not until Tuesday, July 14th that we see a small pulse, with 3-ft from the NNE and light offshore winds (cross-off), giving cleaner conditions. Energy is a weak 49-62, but it's at least surfable on a foamie.

For the rest of the first week and into the second, it's the same sad story. Glimpses of glassy conditions and clean offshore winds (like on the 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 24th and 25th) but the swell just isn't there to back it up. The morning of Sunday, July 19th sees a jump in energy to a stronger 327, but a 3-ft NNE swell with a 10-second period is getting smashed by a fresh 19 mp/h cross-onshore wind, making it a total washout. That's more of a kitesurfing setup than a paddle surfing one.

The only bit of size shows up on Thursday, July 23rd with a 6-ft NNW wind swell. However, the period is a short 6 seconds, the wind is howling onshore from the E at 12 mp/h, and the combined energy is a strong 420. The forecast says "poor surf conditions" and the wind is onshore. This will be a messy, bumpy close-out. For experts only, and barely surfable.

So, there's no standout session here. It's a long stretch of flatness, with the only real "surf" being either too weak or too blown out to recommend. Keep your boards in the car for a glassy session with any tiny wave you can find, but don't get your hopes up. The forecasts can change, but right now, it's a waiting game.

Rusty.

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