
Surf Forecasts:
Bay of Plenty surf forecast from 27 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 30 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 11s period, E swell with 2,071 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 30 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Bay of Plenty this week:
The surf forecast for Bay of Plenty over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 30) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 3.0m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 14s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Bay of Plenty in the next 16 days are 3.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 30) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Thu 30th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Thu 30th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bay of Plenty over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cookin’ for the Bay of Plenty over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, so let’s get into it.
First up, the water temp is sitting around 73°, which is just about bang on for this time of year – nothing unusual there, so you can leave the full suit at home.
We’ve got a bit of a wait on our hands, I’m not gonna lie. The first few days are a write-off. Monday the 27th through Tuesday the 29th are just ugly – messy, lumpy waves with poor conditions and a wonky wind. You’d be fighting a losing battle out there. Wednesday the 29th morning and afternoon actually clean up a bit, with a clean face and a moderate breeze, but the waves are still just marginal. We’re looking at around 7ft of swell from the SSE, but the energy is moderate (768). It’s not the worst, but it’s not the best either.
The real heartbreak comes Thursday the 30th. The swell pushes up, but the wind goes howling cross-shore, making it a lumpy, choppy mess. Friday the 31st and Saturday the 1st of August aren’t much better. There’s some size, but the wind and texture are just off.
Okay, now for the glimmer of hope. The standout for the whole period is without a doubt Sunday the 2nd of August. The morning is looking primo. We’ve got a solid 8ft swell rolling in from the ESE, and the light wind is just onshore, keeping it clean. The wave energy is strong (1264), and those waves are gonna have some punch. The wind is light, so the surface should be nice and smooth. This is the day to circle on the calendar. The afternoon gets a bit bumpier with the wind picking up, so get your session in early.
After that, Monday the 3rd and Tuesday the 4th hold onto some decent size (8ft to 8ft) from the east, but the wind is a bit more cross, so it’s not as clean as Sunday. The energy is still strong (1210 and 2199), but the quality is only marginal. It’s surfable, but not a stand-out.
Then we hit a dry spell again. From Wednesday the 5th through to the 7th, it’s back to poor, weak junk. Friday the 8th of August morning is still marginal, but the afternoon is a real head-scratcher. The swell is predicted to hit 10ft from the S, which is just too damn big for a spot like this. The wind is light, but that’s a recipe for a washing machine, not a fun wave. Definitely for experts only, if anyone is game.
The following week, around the 9th and 10th, things get messy again with strong onshore winds and lumpy surf. The 11th of August has a trace of a long-period south swell, but it’s weak and the wind is wrong. It’s a real shame.
So, to wrap it up: there’s a long wait for the good stuff. If you’ve got the patience, Sunday the 2nd of August morning is your best shot – get out there early for clean, punchy waves. The rest of the period is mostly a struggle against the wind or the size. That’s the call from here.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 40mm), heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 20°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Wed afternoon). Winds increasing (light winds from the E on Mon afternoon, fresh winds from the SSW by Tue night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 20°C on Sat afternoon, min 16°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Thu afternoon, calm by Sat night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | S 12 | SSW 18 | S 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 8 | S 9 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 11 | E 11 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
68 | 76 | 174 | 312 | 782 | 537 | 510 | 464 | 660 | 908 | 1836 | 638 | 582 | 493 | 615 | 606 | 1004 | 1250 | 1673 | 1739 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:06PM1.60m | 3:13AM1.67m | 3:38PM1.73m | 3:44AM1.75m | 4:07PM1.83m | 4:14AM1.81m | 4:36PM1.91m | 4:43AM1.85m | 5:04PM1.95m | 5:11AM1.85m | 5:33PM1.96m | 5:40AM1.84m | 6:02PM1.94m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:09PM0.58m | 9:25AM0.43m | 9:42PM0.47m | 9:54AM0.34m | 10:13PM0.39m | 10:23AM0.27m | 10:43PM0.34m | 10:50AM0.23m | 11:12PM0.31m | 11:18AM0.21m | 11:41PM0.32m | 11:47AM0.23m | 00:11AM0.36m | |||||||
— | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | |
5:20 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | |
mm | — | 4 | 2 | 5 | 18 | 2 | 5 | 4 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 3 | 3 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
Feels °C | 19 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | E 10 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | E 10 | SSE 9 | SSW 14 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 11 | E 11 |
68 | 22 | 174 | 146 | 67 | 537 | 510 | 464 | 660 | 48 | 1146 | 73 | 582 | 493 | 615 | 606 | 1004 | 1250 | 1673 | 1739 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | S 12 | E 9 | E 9 | SSW 15 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | SSW 15 | — | SSW 14 | — | SSW 13 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | S 13 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 |
63 | 76 | 41 | 42 | 126 | 113 | 165 | 88 | 172 | — | 116 | — | 34 | 51 | 21 | 19 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 9 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | ESE 10 | S 11 | — | — | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | E 9 | — | E 10 | — | SSW 17 | SSW 13 | SW 12 | — | — | S 15 | S 14 | S 18 |
25 | 31 | 22 | — | — | 118 | 116 | 77 | 62 | — | 17 | — | 54 | 16 | 35 | — | — | 4 | 16 | 6 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 5 | S 6 | S 7 | SSE 8 | — | — | WSW 4 | SW 6 | S 8 | S 9 | SSE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | 55 | 69 | 312 | 782 | — | — | 8 | 128 | 908 | 1836 | 638 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 2 | 48 | 907 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 276 | 330 | 1 | 54 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Durban/KwaZulu-Natal South Coast | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Bay of Plenty Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Bay of Plenty provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Bay of Plenty can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Bay of Plenty surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Bay of Plenty) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Bay of Plenty may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Are you planning a holiday in Durban/KwaZulu-Natal South Coast? If you are looking for accommodation near Bay of Plenty, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Durban/KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, consider staying in Durban which is 6 km (4 miles) away. Other places in and around Durban/KwaZulu-Natal South Coast where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Glenwood which is 6 km (4 miles) away, Kwamashu, Umhlanga and Mount Edgecombe.










