
Surf Forecasts:
Bay of Plenty surf forecast from 24 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 29 Jul, 2PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 15s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 11PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 9s period, S swell with 1,064 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 25 Jul, 2AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 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 Saturday (Jul 25) at 2AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 16s. 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 9s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (SAST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 2AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 2PM (Wed 29th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Fri 24th Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bay of Plenty over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the Bay of Plenty surf forecast. It’s a mixed bag, but the first thing to say is that we’ve got a solid, long period groundswell in the water, and the general feeling is that there’s some decent potential – but it’s not going to be a total classic.
The main event is a building swell pattern that starts to show its teeth late next week. The initial days are a bit rough, with the first window of clean, surfable waves locking in on Thursday the 30th of July. That’s our standout moment. The morning of the 30th, the wind goes glassy, just a light air from the SSW, and we’re looking at a 7ft swell from the SE with a period of 9 seconds. The energy is solid at 842 (moderate), so it’s got some push. The water is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, around 73°, which is a nice bonus for an early morning session. The Bay of Plenty is a beach and jetty setup, so with that period around 9 seconds, it’s not going to be too straight or hard to handle – it’s a good, manageable size for most surfers, though at 7ft it’s heading into the territory where beginners might want to be careful on the bigger sets.
The next real highlight is Saturday morning, the 1st of August. Again, we’re looking at glassy conditions, this time with a complete calm wind, and the same 7ft swell from the ESE, period bumping up to 10 seconds. The energy is even higher at 927 (moderate). That’s a really clean-looking window. The swell direction (ESE) is matching the optimum swell direction for the Bay of Plenty, which is a big plus. Expect some proper, clean lines.
Monday morning the 27th of July is a bit of a tease – a 5ft NE swell with a very short period of 7 seconds, and light onshore wind. The energy is low at 342 (weak), so it’s not going to be offering much in the way of quality. The rest of the first week is a lot of cross-shore winds and messy conditions, so we’re really waiting for that Thursday.
Looking further out, there’s a promising window on Friday the 31st of July morning, with a 6ft SE swell, 10 seconds, and an offshore wind from the west. That’s clean, but the swell is a touch smaller than the Saturday peak. The energy is 742 (moderate).
The second week, from the 2nd of August onwards, the swell holds around 7ft from the ESE, but the wind shifts to a cross and cross-onshore pattern, and the quality drops off. The swell is still there, but the conditions get messy. The crowd factor at the Bay of Plenty can be ‘sometimes’ busy, so on those clean Thursday and Saturday mornings, expect a few other keen locals out there with you.
So, to sum it up: the best on offer is the Thursday 30th of July morning, with glassy conditions and a solid 7ft SE swell. That’s the pick for a quiet, clean session. The Saturday 1st of August morning is also a standout, with completely calm winds and that same clean swell. After that, the window closes up a bit with onshore winds, and the very end of the forecast shows a return to long period SSW groundswell, but it’s small and cross-on, so not much to get excited about until the following week.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri afternoon, min 14°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the S on Fri afternoon, calm by Sat night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 37mm), heaviest during Tue morning. Warm (max 21°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Mon afternoon, calm by Thu morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | ||||||||||||||
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) | S 10 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | NE 6 | NE 7 | SSW 14 | S 7 | S 7 | S 9 | SE 8 | SSW 15 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 10 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
1906 | 498 | 563 | 495 | 450 | 300 | 179 | 224 | 195 | 63 | 274 | 349 | 442 | 299 | 507 | 463 | 524 | 747 | 777 | 742 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-on | on | off | cross | cross | cross-off | on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | glassy | on | off |
High Tide | 00:47AM1.38m | 1:42PM1.33m | 1:52AM1.47m | 2:30PM1.47m | 2:37AM1.57m | 3:06PM1.60m | 3:13AM1.67m | 3:38PM1.73m | 3:44AM1.75m | 4:07PM1.83m | 4:14AM1.81m | 4:36PM1.91m | 4:43AM1.85m | |||||||
Low Tide | 6:17PM0.89m | 7:26AM0.78m | 7:39PM0.81m | 8:16AM0.66m | 8:30PM0.69m | 8:53AM0.54m | 9:09PM0.58m | 9:25AM0.43m | 9:42PM0.47m | 9:54AM0.34m | 10:13PM0.39m | 10:23AM0.27m | 10:43PM0.34m | |||||||
— | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | |
5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 8 | 1 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 16 |
Feels °C | 10 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | E 10 | SSE 7 | SSW 16 | SE 8 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSE 8 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 10 |
43 | 498 | 563 | 495 | 450 | 300 | 179 | 85 | 79 | 35 | 48 | 203 | 147 | 299 | 507 | 443 | 524 | 747 | 777 | 742 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 19 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SSW 12 | SSW 18 | E 9 | S 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 |
125 | 269 | 123 | 174 | 118 | 236 | 178 | 71 | 23 | 24 | 51 | 176 | 40 | 211 | 87 | 85 | 83 | 95 | 50 | 52 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 11 | SE 11 | S 19 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | E 9 | — | E 10 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 14 | — | — | E 10 |
2 | 40 | 63 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 83 | 45 | 63 | 51 | 41 | — | 67 | 74 | 54 | 158 | — | — | 18 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | — | — | — | — | NE 2 | ENE 4 | NE 6 | NE 7 | SSW 4 | S 7 | S 7 | S 9 | — | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | — | — | — | — |
1906 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 20 | 224 | 195 | 16 | 274 | 349 | 442 | — | 423 | 463 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 405 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 696 | 1 | 5 | 779 | 665 | 895 | 405 | 130 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 80 | 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.










