Whangara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, check it out. The forecast for our stretch of coast is a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks. We’ve got some proper, heavy-duty swell on the way, but the wind is going to be a real issue for a while. We’ll be waiting out some messy, blown-out conditions before things clean up.

The first real window we’re looking at gets going on the 20th of August. There’s a drop in the swell, but the wind turns more offshore in the morning. We’re looking at a clean 5ft of SE swell, with a period of 9 seconds. It’s not huge, but it’s clean. The energy is moderate at 388. The water temp is sitting at 56°F, which is about average for the time of year, nothing crazy.

The morning of the 21st is small, only 2ft, but the wind is offshore. It’s the afternoon that has me a little more interested. The wind goes totally glassy and we get a pulse of very long-period groundswell from the south, a 17-second period. It’s small, 3ft, but with that period, it’ll have some push. The energy is still moderate at 399. It might be a bit inconsistent, but that glassy surface will make it worth a paddle.

Then it goes flat for a few days. The 22nd, 23rd, and 24th are all pretty small with no real punch. A couple of clean mornings, but just not enough to get excited about. We’re just waiting for the ocean to wake up.

Now, here’s the standout of the whole run, and it’s a week out. On the morning of the 25th of August, a new NW wind swell shows up with a bit of size, pushing 7ft. The wind is offshore and the conditions look clean. The energy reflects this, with a reading of 1028, which is moderate but getting up there. This looks like the best wave of the period. It’s from the N, which isn’t the absolute optimum for the spot, but it should still be fun. The afternoon backs off a bit to 5ft, still clean.

The next morning, the 26th, is still surfable, but the size drops off. The rest of the run is a lot of small, or onshore, or blown-out chop. There’s a hint of something on the morning of the 27th with 8ft of SSE swell, but the period is a short 7 seconds, and the wind is questionable. It’s likely to be a messy, short-period windswell. After that, it’s mostly poor until the end of the month.

So, the call is simple. If you can, get out on the 20th for a clean, small one. But the real one to circle on the calendar is the 25th of August. That’s the day with the size and the clean offshore wind to make it all come together.

Rusty.

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