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The Desert Surf Photo by Rob Davies

3 hours earlier	Peak Waves	Wind	Wind Waves	Swell 1	Swell 2	Swell 3	3 hours later
	S	S	S	SSW	NE	NW
	7 s	on	7 s	14 s	9 s	9 s

Open ocean wave model on 19 May at 12 pm

Forecast wind and swell just offshore from The Desert around the time the photo was taken

3 hours earlier	Peak Waves	Wind	Wind Waves	Swell 1	Swell 2	Swell 3	3 hours later
	S	SSE	S	SSW	NE	NW
	7 s	on	7 s	14 s	8 s	9 s

Open ocean wave model on 19 May at 3 pm

Forecast wind and swell just offshore from The Desert around the time the photo was taken

3 hours earlier	Peak Waves	Wind	Wind Waves	Swell 1	Swell 2	Swell 3	3 hours later
	S	SSE	S	NE	E	NW
	7 s	on	7 s	8 s	9 s	9 s

Open ocean wave model on 19 May at 6 pm

Forecast wind and swell just offshore from The Desert around the time the photo was taken

3 hours earlier	Peak Waves	Wind	Wind Waves	Swell 1	Swell 2	Swell 3	3 hours later
	SSW	SSE		SSW	ESE	NE
	12 s	on		12 s	6 s	8 s

Open ocean wave model on 19 May at 9 pm

Forecast wind and swell just offshore from The Desert around the time the photo was taken

3 hours earlier	Peak Waves	Wind	Wind Waves	Swell 1	Swell 2	Swell 3	3 hours later
	SSW	NNW		SSW	ESE	SSW
	11 s	glass		12 s	6 s	15 s

Open ocean wave model on 20 May at 12 am

Forecast wind and swell just offshore from The Desert around the time the photo was taken

3 hours earlier	Peak Waves	Wind	Wind Waves	Swell 1	Swell 2	Swell 3	3 hours later
	SSW	NNW		SSW	ESE	SSW
	11 s	off		11 s	6 s	15 s

Open ocean wave model on 20 May at 3 am

Forecast wind and swell just offshore from The Desert around the time the photo was taken

3 hours earlier	Peak Waves	Wind	Wind Waves	Swell 1	Swell 2	Swell 3	3 hours later
	SSW	NNW	NW	SSW	ESE	SSW
	11 s	off	3 s	11 s	5 s	14 s

Open ocean wave model on 20 May at 6 am

Forecast wind and swell just offshore from The Desert around the time the photo was taken

3 hours earlier	Peak Waves	Wind	Wind Waves	Swell 1	Swell 2	Swell 3	3 hours later
	SSW	NNW	NW	SSW	ESE	SSW
	11 s	off	4 s	11 s	6 s	14 s

Open ocean wave model on 20 May at 9 am

Forecast wind and swell just offshore from The Desert around the time the photo was taken

3 hours earlier	Peak Waves	Wind	Wind Waves	Swell 1	Swell 2	Swell 3	3 hours later
	SSW	WNW	WNW	SSW	SSW	E
	11 s	cross- off	5 s	11 s	14 s	5 s

Open ocean wave model on 20 May at 12 pm

Forecast wind and swell just offshore from The Desert around the time the photo was taken

3 hours earlier	Peak Waves	Wind	Wind Waves	Swell 1	Swell 2	Swell 3	3 hours later
	SSW	SW	SW	SSW	E	SE
	16 s	cross	11 s	16 s	5 s	16 s

Open ocean wave model on 20 May at 3 pm

Forecast wind and swell just offshore from The Desert around the time the photo was taken

3 hours earlier	Peak Waves	Wind	Wind Waves	Swell 1	Swell 2	Swell 3	3 hours later
	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	E	WNW
	15 s	cross- on	5 s	15 s	5 s	4 s

Open ocean wave model on 20 May at 6 pm

Forecast wind and swell just offshore from The Desert around the time the photo was taken

3 hours earlier	Peak Waves	Wind	Wind Waves	Swell 1	Swell 2	Swell 3	3 hours later
	SSW	SSW	S	SSW	ENE	SE
	15 s	cross- on	7 s	15 s	8 s	15 s

Open ocean wave model on 20 May at 9 pm

Forecast wind and swell just offshore from The Desert around the time the photo was taken

3 hours earlier	Peak Waves	Wind	Wind Waves	Swell 1	Swell 2	3 hours later
	SSW	S	SSW	E	SE
	14 s	cross- on	14 s	15 s	15 s

Open ocean wave model on 21 May at 12 am

Forecast wind and swell just offshore from The Desert around the time the photo was taken

3 hours earlier	Peak Waves	Wind	Wind Waves	Swell 1	Swell 2	3 hours later
	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	ESE
	13 s	cross- on	13 s	12 s	15 s

Open ocean wave model on 21 May at 3 am

Forecast wind and swell just offshore from The Desert around the time the photo was taken

3 hours earlier	Peak Waves	Wind	Wind Waves	Swell 1	Swell 2	Swell 3	3 hours later
	SSW	SSW		SSW	ESE	NE
	11 s	cross- on		11 s	15 s	8 s

Open ocean wave model on 21 May at 6 am

Forecast wind and swell just offshore from The Desert around the time the photo was taken

3 hours earlier	Peak Waves	Wind	Wind Waves	Swell 1	Swell 2	Swell 3	3 hours later
	SSW	SSW		SSW	ESE	NE
	11 s	cross- on		11 s	15 s	10 s

Open ocean wave model on 21 May at 9 am

Forecast wind and swell just offshore from The Desert around the time the photo was taken

3 hours earlier	Peak Waves	Wind	Wind Waves	Swell 1	Swell 2	Swell 3	3 hours later
	SSW	SW		SSW	SSW	SE
	10 s	cross- on		10 s	14 s	14 s

Open ocean wave model on 21 May at 12 pm

Forecast wind and swell just offshore from The Desert around the time the photo was taken

Image captured 2 hours and 34 minutes after high water (falling ordinary tide). Tide height was 1.0m (3.4 ft). Range 1.73m (5.7 ft). Toggle tide graph

user: Rob Davies (1334 photos)
photo taken at: 1:13 pm 20 May 2025

The Desert

New Zealand | The Desert

Average rating: 3.0

(use stars to vote)

Maybe the tide was wrong because the swell was breaking nicely at nearby Seconds and at The Spit. The vast area of scree gives this break its name. Best accessed from Ngawi and the Cape road.

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