Surf Forecasts:
Bay of Plenty surf forecast from 27 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 29 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 29 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, S swell with 1,308 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 27 Jul, 5AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 6s period with NE 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 Monday (Jul 27) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 6s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 8s 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 9s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 2AM. 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 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Mon 27th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 2AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bay of Plenty over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, let's talk about the Bay of Plenty. The surf forecast is looking more like a mixed bag than a clean run, with a few sessions worth paddling out for among a lot of messy, windy, or small days. The best wave window is shaping up for early August, but there's some waiting to do.
The early days are a bit of a struggle. Monday the 27th of July kicks off with a clean, light offshore wind in the morning (ESE at 3 mph) and a 5ft swell from the NE, but the period is short (7 seconds) and it's a combined energy of 396 (moderate), giving it a real weak, mushy feel. That wind is almost glassy though, so for a beginner, there might be something, but it's marginal. The afternoon gets messy fast with a strong SSW cross-shore at 19 mph – not worth suiting up. Tuesday and Wednesday are pretty ordinary, with cross-shore winds and lumpy conditions. Wednesday the 29th has some size, with 7ft to 7ft from the SSE and a cleaner cross-offshore wind (SW at 16-19 mph). The combined energy jumps to 852 and then 1445 (strong), suggesting some power, but the wind is still strong. It might be a kite-surfing show more than a clean paddle, especially at a beach/jetty setup.
Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st see the swell staying solid (7ft to 8ft from S/SE), but those 19-22 mph cross-shore winds from the SSW will chop it right up. That's expert territory size with lousy conditions. The weekend (1st and 2nd of August) is similar: windy mornings, then the winds ease Sunday with an ESE offshore at 6 mph on the 2nd. That gives a 5ft swell from the ESE with a 9-second period and combined energy of 535, which is better energy, but the tide question makes it marginal. Then on Monday the 3rd, it's cross-shore again.
Now the good news. Tuesday the 4th of August is the standout. Morning brings a glassy surface – wind is from the S at 3 mph, dead calm. That 5ft swell from the E with a 9-second period isn't huge, but with combined energy of 449 (moderate), it'll have some push. That's the cleanest window, and for a beach/jetty, glassy conditions like that are a huge plus. Keep in mind this is a beginner-friendly spot, so 5ft is a great size for learning or just a fun, uncrowded session (crowds are sometimes). The water temp is about average for the time of year.
After that, it fades again. Strong winds return, swell drops off, and conditions stay poor until the 8th of August, when there's a bump in size again (7ft from S on Saturday afternoon) but still with cross-shore winds. The very end of the forecast shows a promising pulse on Monday the 10th of August: 7ft from the E with a 9-second period and combined energy of 1459 (strong), and a gentler wind. It's a bit of a gamble this far out, but it could be the next real window if the winds behave.
So for the whole window, Tuesday the 4th morning is your best bet for a clean, fun session. It's not a huge swell, but the glassy conditions make it the pick.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 37mm), heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 21°C on Mon night, min 14°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNW on Mon morning, strong winds from the SSW by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Fri afternoon, min 14°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSW on Fri afternoon, light winds from the WSW by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | NE 7 | ENE 7 | S 12 | SSW 18 | SSE 6 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 7 | SSE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 240 | 66 | 76 | 174 | 149 | 1308 | 669 | 512 | 484 | 715 | 777 | 742 | 277 | 488 | 388 | 397 | 443 | 416 | 544 | 589 | 505 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | on | 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 | 8:53AM0.54m | 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 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — |
 | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — |
mm | — | — | 6 | 4 | 6 | 16 | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 17 |
Feels °C | 17 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | S 12 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | E 9 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SSW 13 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | E 9 |
| kJ | 108 | 66 | 76 | 174 | 146 | 851 | 669 | 512 | 484 | 549 | 63 | 521 | 156 | 69 | 388 | 397 | 443 | 416 | 544 | 589 | 505 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SSW 14 | ENE 6 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | S 17 | SSW 15 | E 10 | SSW 13 | S 8 | S 7 | SSE 7 | SSW 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 |
| kJ | 24 | 63 | 21 | 41 | 44 | 68 | 88 | 110 | 106 | 83 | 146 | 125 | 70 | 154 | 138 | 70 | 55 | 15 | 22 | 37 | 33 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | ESE 10 | S 11 | S 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | — | E 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 17 | SSW 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | — | S 18 | S 22 | SSW 19 |
| kJ | 44 | 42 | 31 | 22 | 61 | 126 | 118 | 115 | 77 | 179 | — | 52 | 108 | 58 | 30 | 23 | 20 | — | 6 | 9 | 69 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 7 | SSW 2 | S 5 | S 6 | SSE 6 | S 9 | — | — | SW 5 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | S 7 | SSE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 240 | 1 | 42 | 69 | 149 | 1308 | — | — | 66 | 715 | 777 | 742 | 277 | 488 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 3 | 58 | 2 | 54 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 267 | 895 | 1 | 267 | 286 | 1 | 1 | 887 | 0 | 0 | 714 | 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.
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