Whangara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight up – the next couple of weeks at Whangara are a bit of a mixed bag, with a lot of average-to-poor days to wade through before a couple of genuine standouts show at the end of the month. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing much worth paddling out for, then a clean little window that’s worth marking on the calendar.

The water temp at Whangara is sitting at 56°F right now, which is about 1°F cooler than average for this time of year – nothing unusual, just a touch of winter still hanging around.

We kick off on Wednesday 19 August and it’s plain ugly. A solid 16 ft southerly swell is hammering the coast, but with a strong cross-on SSW wind at 25 mph, it’s a complete mess. The combined energy is massive (5878) – plenty of power, but it’s all blown out and unrideable. That afternoon drops to 6 ft from the SE, but cross-shore wind keeps it lumpy. Thursday stays poor, with 5 ft and 4 ft swells and cross-chop. Friday morning 21 August finally brings a clean moment – a light NW offshore, 3 ft from the ESE at 10 seconds, and the combined energy is moderate (225). It’s surfable but average – a small, workable wave. Friday afternoon sees a 3 ft southerly swell, but the NE wind pushes it cross and the period jumps to 16 seconds – that’s a long-period groundswell, which can close out beach breaks but might offer a few lines if you pick your spot. Still, the conditions aren’t great.

Saturday 22 August morning is small and clean with a 2 ft SE swell and offshore WNW wind, but there’s barely any energy (45). The afternoon is the first real highlight: a clean, gentle offshore from the NW, 4 ft of southerly swell at a solid 12 seconds, combined energy of 347 – that’s moderate but punchy. Clean conditions, decent wave height, and good shape potential. This is a solid option for a Saturday session. After that, Sunday and Monday (23-24 August) drop back to tiny, clean but weak surf – not worth rushing out for. From Tuesday 25 August through to Friday 28 August morning, it’s downright flat: 0.7 ft to 1.0 ft swells, barely any energy (20-34), glassy or offshore winds but nothing to ride. A dead stretch of about four days with no surf on offer.

Friday 28 August afternoon throws a curveball – a 7 ft NNE swell, but with a short, weak period of 6 seconds, cross-offshore wind, and combined energy of 351. It’s marginal and likely choppy and messy. Not a goer.

Now for the standout window. Saturday 29 August morning is the pick of the whole forecast. A clean 5 ft NNE swell with a light NW offshore wind, period of 8 seconds, and combined energy of 481 – strong, punchy wave energy. That afternoon stays good with 5 ft from the NE, clean with a light WNW cross-offshore. This is the best on offer – solid size, decent shape, and clean conditions. Sunday 30 August morning is also a beauty: glassy calm, 4 ft NE swell at 8 seconds, combined energy of 313 – a smaller but still fun, clean session. After that, the wind swings onshore Sunday afternoon and stays poor right through Monday and Tuesday (31 August – 1 September), with cross-on winds and messy surf. Wednesday and Thursday (2-3 September) keep the onshore flow, and by Thursday afternoon it’s back to tiny, weak waves.

So, if you’ve got a session in mind, aim for Saturday 29 August morning – that’s the standout. Sunday morning 30 August is also worth a look. Everything else either needs a kite, or a good book.

Rusty.

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