Whangara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here.

Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next week and a half is a write-off for Whangara. We're looking at a long, flat, and messy stretch from Wednesday the 9th right through to the morning of Sunday the 20th. We're talking ten days of tiny, weak, and mostly wind-affected slop. The swell energy is almost non-existent, hovering around 14 to 70 (weak) for most of that time, with waves barely pushing 1ft to 2ft. There are plenty of clean mornings, but with nothing to ride, it doesn't matter. You’d be better off checking the tides for a free-dive than paddling out. The water temp is sitting at 56° which is about average for this time of year, so at least you won’t freeze while you’re watching it do nothing.

Now, let’s talk about the change that comes at the end of the forecast.

The first real pulse of energy arrives Sunday the 20th, but it's raw and ugly. A fresh cross-shore breeze at 19 mph kicks up a lumpy 4ft from the NNE in the morning, but the swell energy jumps to 165. It gets worse in the afternoon as an 8ft S swell shows up, but a fresh cross-onshore wind at 19 mph chops it all to pieces. Forget about it.

The action really starts to build from Monday the 21st. That’s when a proper groundswell fills in. Monday morning sees 8ft from the ESE with a 8-second period, and the energy jumps to 825. The wind is a gentle offshore cross-off from the WSW, so it’s clean, but it’s getting big. This is the standout window, but it's a fine line.

By Monday afternoon, the swell is pushing 13ft from the ENE with 9-second period and the energy explodes to 2425. The wind is a moderate cross-onshore from the S, which is going to put some texture on it. This is serious, heavy surf – way over the 8ft mark, this is for experts only.

The biggest and best of the run looks like Tuesday the 22nd. The morning is the pick: a massive 16ft from the ENE with a 12-second period, and the energy is a massive 6879. The wind is only a gentle offshore cross-off from the SW, which is about as good as you could ask for in waves like this. This is a true beast, a once-in-a-while pulse of power. The afternoon backs off slightly to 15ft but with the same period, and energy reads 5995, with a light cross-on S wind.

Wednesday the 23rd is still big. The morning has 11ft from the SE in light rain and a slight air cross-off wind. The afternoon is the sweet spot for the experienced crew: 10ft from the SE with a clean, slight air cross-off breeze. The energy is still strong at 2000.

After that, it eases through the rest of the week. Thursday the 24th drops to a more manageable 5ft from the ESE in the morning and 4ft from the NE in the afternoon, with the energy dropping to 504 and 403. It’s a much cleaner, more user-friendly size for the majority.

So, the bottom line: you’ve got a long stretch of nothing, then a big, powerful, and serious window from Monday the 21st through Wednesday the 23rd. If you’re an expert, the Tuesday morning 16ft ENE swell with a light offshore wind is the absolute standout – that’s the one you circle on the calendar. It’s promising, but that far out, you always keep an eye on the charts.

For everyone else, the back half of Thursday the 24th with those 4ft waves and clean cross-off wind will be your best bet. It’s not perfect, but it’s rideable.

Rusty.

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