Whangara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. We’ve got a solid 16-day window ahead, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag with a few standout sessions. The good news is the water is sitting right on the seasonal average at 58°F, so nothing unusual there.

The first proper surf kicks off this Saturday morning, the 18th of July. Whangara is the pick early on, with a clean 6ft swell from the ESE, packing a very solid 14-second period. That’s proper groundswell energy, and with a combined energy of 1476, it’s got some serious push. The WNW wind is a light cross-off, so the waves will be clean and well-shaped. That said, this is a beach and reef setup, and with a long-period swell like this, it might be a bit straight for the beach but could offer some nice lines on the reef. The 6ft size is pushing into expert territory, so this is for the experienced crew. Crowds are a possibility here on a Saturday.

Sunday the 19th still has a clean 4ft ESE swell in the morning, but it’s a step down in energy (572). The wind is a light cross-off, so it’s still surfable, but nothing special.

Monday and Tuesday the 20th and 21st are pretty flat and ordinary. Monday is a write-off with onshore wind and choppy 3ft waves. Tuesday morning is a bit better with a tiny 2ft clean wave, but it’s super weak.

Then Wednesday the 22nd morning brings a surprise – a glassy 5ft swell from the south with a 12-second period. The combined energy is 646, and that glassy wind is a major plus. This will be clean and fun, but it’s not a standout.

The real standout is shaping up for Wednesday the 29th of July. Whangara is looking at a solid 8ft swell from the SE, with a 13-second period and a combined energy of 2049 – that’s strong wave energy. The wind is a light offshore from the NW, so the waves will be clean and powerful. This is definitely for experts only at that size, but it’s the best on offer in the whole window. The morning session is the pick, with the afternoon also good at 8ft.

Thursday the 30th is still solid with 6ft and 5ft swells from the SE, good energy, and light offshore winds. It’s very good, but the 29th is the true peak.

After that, the wind turns ugly on the 31st of July, with strong onshore winds making a mess of the 7ft to 8ft swell. The first of August looks a bit cleaner, but the wind is still strong, and the last decent chance is Sunday the 2nd of August with a clean 5ft swell that fades into tiny glassy 3ft waves in the afternoon.

So, in short: this Saturday morning the 18th is a solid, clean option for experienced surfers, but the absolute standout is Wednesday the 29th of July – that’s the one to circle on the calendar for big, clean, powerful waves.

Rusty.

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