Whangara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next 16 days at Whangara are a bit of a mixed bag, with a lot of flat spells and only a couple of windows that’ll get the blood pumping. Most of the first week is pretty dismal, with small, weak swell and poor conditions, so you’ll want to be patient. The real standout is a short burst of clean, long-period groundswell on Wednesday the 2nd of September, and then again later in the second week, there’s a promising spike that could be worth a look.

Let’s start with the immediate outlook. From Monday the 31st of August through to Tuesday the 1st of September, it’s pretty hopeless. Swell is tiny – around 1 ft to 3 ft – with a short period, and the wind is either cross-off or cross, making for messy, poor surf. The combined energy is weak, with values under 100, so don’t even bother paddling out.

Then comes a real highlight. On Wednesday morning the 2nd of September, a south swell starts to fill in at 3 ft, with a long period of 18 seconds and a cross-off wind from the WNW. The energy jumps to 621 (moderate), and it’s clean. But the real magic happens Wednesday afternoon: the swell bumps up to 4 ft from the south, with a very long period of 17 seconds, and the wind drops to a glassy 3 mph from the NW. That’s a 1030 combined energy reading (strong), and the wave comment says “expect very good surf conditions.” This is the best on offer – a proper groundswell at Whangara, which is a beach and reef setup that’s fairly exposed to the ENE. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, no big anomaly. Keep in mind that with a period over 15 seconds, this long-period swell can break a bit straight at beach breaks, but the reef here should handle it well. The wind is glassy, so it’ll be clean as a whistle. Crowds are “sometimes” an issue, so you might have a few others out, but it’s worth it.

After that, it dries up fast. Thursday the 3rd through Saturday the 5th of September sees tiny 0.7 ft to 1.0 ft swell with offshore winds, but the energy is pitiful – mostly under 30 – and the swell direction is all over the place. It’s clean but flat. Sunday the 6th of September has a brief spike of 7 ft from the NNE in the afternoon, but with a short period of 6 seconds and weak energy (300), it’s still poor surf. That’s too big for beginners and short period means it’s choppy, so it’s a no-go.

The second week is a long gap of nothing until Sunday the 13th of September. That afternoon, a solid 8 ft south swell rolls in with a period of 10 seconds and a combined energy of 1183 (very strong). It’s a marginal call with cross-shore wind, but if you’re an expert, that’s a big, powerful swell. The wind is from the NE at 9 mph, so it’s a bit cross, but the energy is there. Monday the 14th of September has a 4 ft south swell from the morning, but with cross-shore wind, it’s not clean. By Tuesday the 15th, it’s dropping off.

So, if you’re keen, mark Wednesday the 2nd of September as the standout – glassy, long-period groundswell, clean, and moderate energy. That’s the best you’ll get. For the second week, keep an eye on Sunday the 13th if you’re a big-wave charger, but it’s less certain. Stay patient, mate.

Rusty

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