Surf Forecasts:
Bay of Plenty surf forecast from 21 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 22 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 7s period, NE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 8PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 10s period, S swell with 1,439 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 22 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 12s period with SE 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 Wednesday (Jul 22) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 4s. Another secondary swell of 0.9m and 4s 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 2.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 7ft (2.2m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Fri 24th Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bay of Plenty over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty, your local surf reporter, bringing you the surf outlook for the Bay of Plenty.
Alright, looking at the next 16 days, it's a bit of a mixed bag for the Bay of Plenty. We've got some swell on the horizon, but the wind is going to be a real pain for most of it. The water temp is sitting pretty average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.
The first real chance to get wet comes in on Wednesday, July 22nd. It's not going to be a classic, but it's something. The Bay of Plenty is a beach/jetty setup, and there's a 4ft SE swell with a 12-second period, so some decent energy (652). The wind is a cross-shore from the NE at 9 mph, which will put a bit of a chop on the face. It's a beginner-friendly spot, but the conditions are a bit marginal. The afternoon sees the wind pick up to 16 mph, making it messier, so the morning is your best bet for a few grovelly ones.
The rest of the week and into the next is pretty bleak. Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th are write-offs. Friday will see an 8ft S swell (1082) but with a 22 mph cross-shore wind, it'll be a lumpy, wind-affected mess. Saturday the 25th is a bit smaller, 5ft, but the wind is onshore, so it's not going to be clean.
We have a long stretch of poor conditions from the 26th of July right through to the 1st of August. The wind is just not playing ball. There's a small window on the morning of the 30th, with a 5ft SSE swell (739) and a light cross-shore, but it's still marginal.
Now, the standout. If you're looking for something to get excited about, mark your calendar for Tuesday, August 4th. The afternoon is looking *very* interesting. The wind is predicted to be glassy, absolutely dead calm, with a 6ft easterly swell (962). That's a recipe for clean, fun waves at the Bay of Plenty. The swell period is 9 seconds, so a bit of a shorter period, but with that wind, it’ll be a whole lot of fun. This is the best on offer in the whole outlook.
The 5th and 6th of August then bring a bigger swell, pushing 8ft from the ENE, but the wind is back onshore or cross-shore, so it won't be the clean, epic day we were hoping for. The energy is strong (up to 2625), but the conditions will make it a challenge. For the average surfer, that 8ft with a cross-shore is going to be a messy, lumpy affair.
So, to sum it up: ride the small, choppy windows on Wednesday the 22nd and Saturday the 25th if you're desperate, but the real golden ticket is the glassy afternoon on Tuesday, August 4th.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Wed afternoon, min 17°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the N on Tue night, fresh winds from the SSW by Fri morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Sun morning). Winds increasing (calm on Fri night, fresh winds from the NE by Sun afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | NE 7 | SE 12 | SE 12 | S 6 | S 9 | S 10 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SSW 13 | ENE 6 | NE 7 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 486 | 403 | 319 | 296 | 167 | 164 | 225 | 1018 | 958 | 359 | 287 | 257 | 226 | 184 | 179 | 420 | 273 | 230 | 121 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross | glassy |
High Tide | 8:36PM1.52m | 8:51AM1.33m | 9:34PM1.41m | 10:13AM1.23m | 11:07PM1.35m | 12:17PM1.23m | 00:47AM1.38m | 1:42PM1.33m | 1:52AM1.47m | 2:30PM1.47m | 2:37AM1.57m | 3:06PM1.60m | 3:13AM1.67m | ||||||
Low Tide | 2:56AM0.77m | 2:58PM0.77m | 4:10AM0.86m | 4:18PM0.88m | 6:01AM0.86m | 6:17PM0.89m | 7:26AM0.78m | 7:39PM0.81m | 8:16AM0.66m | 8:30PM0.69m | 8:53AM0.54m | 9:09PM0.58m | |||||||
 |  | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — |
 | 5:15 | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 20 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 20 |
Feels °C | 20 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 |
| kJ | 486 | 403 | 319 | 162 | 101 | 59 | 106 | 60 | 59 | 332 | 287 | 257 | 226 | 88 | 57 | 215 | 157 | 121 | 121 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 4 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | S 12 | NE 7 | SSW 20 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 |
| kJ | 11 | 218 | 141 | 236 | 167 | 164 | 75 | 2 | 127 | 359 | 176 | 174 | 120 | 184 | 137 | 49 | 28 | 39 | 55 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | E 9 | — | SSW 13 | SSW 15 | S 5 | ENE 7 | E 10 | E 10 | SE 11 | S 19 | SE 10 | E 9 | E 8 | — | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSW 11 | SSW 16 |
| kJ | 138 | 6 | — | 68 | 71 | 23 | 31 | 2 | 8 | 40 | 114 | 17 | 14 | 12 | — | 24 | 11 | 24 | 25 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 4 | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | NE 7 | SSW 3 | SSW 5 | S 6 | S 9 | S 10 | — | — | — | NNE 4 | NE 5 | ENE 6 | NE 7 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | SSW 4 |
| kJ | 31 | 25 | 65 | 296 | 6 | 36 | 225 | 1018 | 958 | — | — | — | 16 | 38 | 179 | 420 | 273 | 230 | 7 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 5 | 335 | 0 | 120 | 48 | 353 | 405 | 330 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 476 | 687 | 2 | 244 | 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.
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