Whangara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what the next couple of weeks are shaping up like for the local stretch.

We’re looking at a bit of a slow start, but there’s a real gem hiding in the middle of the week and a serious pulse of energy late in the second week that has my attention. Don’t get too excited about the first few days, because Monday the 31st of August and Tuesday the 1st of September are a write-off with tiny, poor surf and tricky winds. You can leave the boards in the car for that.

The real action kicks off Wednesday the 2nd of September. If you’re flexible, that’s your morning session. Whangara (beach and reef) will have the first proper swell of the period rolling in. We’ve got a clean 3 ft S swell with a *very* long period of 18 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy with serious push behind it. The wind is offshore from the WNW at 12 mph, so expect clean, peeling lines. There’s moderate wave energy building (522). By Wednesday afternoon it gets even better: the swell pumps up to 5 ft from the south, period drops slightly to a still-impressive 17 seconds, and the wind goes glassy-light from the NW at just 3 mph. Wave energy jumps to strong (1331). That afternoon window on Wednesday the 2nd is a standout – clean, solid, and that long-period swell will wrap nicely into the reef. Just be aware the crowds can be an issue here sometimes, but on a Wednesday you might get lucky. The water’s sitting at 56°, which is about average for this time of year.

Now, after that, it goes quiet again. Thursday through the weekend and into early the following week is flat or near-flat. There’s a few scraps of knee-high stuff but the energy is almost zero, so don’t bother. We’re talking a gap of nearly a week with nothing worth paddling out for.

Looking ahead, the next real opportunity pops up on Thursday the 10th of September. Thursday morning sees a 4 ft ESE swell with a period of 9 seconds and cross-offshore wind from the WSW at just 3 mph. Wave energy is moderate (286) and conditions are clean. It’s not the monster of the previous week, but it’s surfable and offers a decent little window.

But the real one to circle on your calendar is Tuesday the 15th of September. Whangara will light up again. Tuesday morning we’ve got a solid 5 ft S swell, period of 17 seconds, and only a light northerly cross-offshore breeze at 3 mph. The wave energy is very strong (1324) and the surf is clean. This is another top-tier session in the making, though it’s far out so treat it as promising but not locked in. Tuesday afternoon the swell pushes even bigger – 7 ft from the south with a 16-second period – but the wind switches to a moderate cross-shore from the NE at 16 mph, which will chop it up a bit. That size is getting into the expert-only territory for most, so take care.

Overall, the best bet is Wednesday the 2nd of September afternoon – that glassy, long-period south swell is a proper treat. The second standout is Tuesday the 15th of September morning, if the forecast holds. Everything else in between is a waiting game.

Stay stoked.

- Rusty

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