Whangara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here again, talkin’ about Whangara on the Gisborne coast.

We’re looking at a slow start for the next week and a half. The first few days have got tiny waves that are just not worth paddling out for. Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th are meek, with swell around 2 ft to 3 ft, light side-shore breezes, and weak energy levels (150 dropping to 45). It’s a shame, really. Wednesday the 15th is glassy calm in the afternoon, but still only about 2 ft. The energy is weak (71).

Thursday the 16th shows some signs of life with a new groundswell. The morning has a clean offshore wind with a 2 ft, 14-second ESE swell, but the energy is still moderate (171). The afternoon is where you start to pay attention – the wind shifts to a light westerly cross-off, wave height stays around 3 ft, but the period jumps to 17 seconds and the combination energy gets strong (544). This is a sign of what’s on the way.

The absolute standout is Friday morning, July 17th. This is the session to aim for. You’ve got a clean 6 ft groundswell from the ESE with a very long 15-second period and very strong energy (1339). The wind is a light offshore from the WNW at just 3 mph. At that size, it’s for experienced surfers only – over 5 ft, it starts to get heavy for beginners. Those long-period waves will have serious power and shape, but you’ll sit through longer waits between sets. On a beach and reef set-up like Whangara, if the swell direction sits close to that ENE optimum, the reef might just pump out some quality. The surf will be clean, but keep in mind crowds are sometimes an issue, so expect some company.

After Friday’s peak, Saturday the 18th keeps the size at 6 ft in the morning with a cross-off breeze and strong energy (1142), still very good. But the afternoon turns foul with a fresh S wind at 19 mph and rain, making it sloppy. Sunday the 19th cleans up again with a 4 ft, 13-second swell and a light offshore breeze, giving you good, clean waves and moderate energy (580). Monday the 20th starts glassy with a 5 ft, 15-second S groundswell and very strong energy (1104). That’s another solid session for confident surfers, with long-period lines again better suited for the reef.

From Tuesday the 21st onward, it’s a mixed bag. Swell sits in the 2 ft to 4 ft range, but onshore winds ruin a lot of it. There are a couple of clean, glassy windows – like Wednesday morning July 22nd with a 4 ft S swell (energy 666) and Sunday morning July 26th with a 4 ft S swell (620) – but they’re not eye-catching. The energy is moderate and the quality is good, not excellent. The second week is a bit of a gamble; long-range forecasts look promising but you can’t bank on them.

Bottom line: circle Friday the 17th on your calendar. That’s your best shot at some decent waves this period. Don’t bother with the tiny stuff early on.

Rusty.

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