
Surf Forecasts:
Fishermans Reef surf forecast from 16 Sep 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Friday 18 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 8s period, NNE swell with 370 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Fishermans Reef this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Fishermans Reef in the next 16 days are 1.7m 8s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 18) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 20) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Fri 18th Sep) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Fishermans Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let’s not sugar-coat it—this outlook is about as flat as it gets. Fishermans Reef is barely breaking, and looking over the full 16 days, there’s almost nothing for a surfer to get excited about. The first few days are dead, and the trend doesn’t improve much.
Wednesday the 16th gives you a tiny 0.3m of NE swell, with a long 13-second period, but it’s just not enough. Water’s sitting at 15°, about normal for this time of year. Light cross-off winds from the WSW, so it’s clean, but there’s nothing to ride—combined energy is a weak 29. Thursday the 17th bumps up slightly—0.8m in the morning, 1.1m by afternoon—but the period drops to 4-5 seconds, and it’s just choppy, cross-on, and messy. Not worth suiting up.
Then comes Friday the 18th. That’s the one day with some punch. Overnight, a 2.4m N swell shows up with an 8-second period, and the combined energy reads 660—that’s serious power. But here’s the issue: on a very sheltered reef, that’s going to be a churning, lumpy mess. Morning has a light S wind, but afternoon swings to a strong offshore from the SW at 30 km/h. It’ll be clean, but 2.4m of short-period swell on an inconsistent reef is expert territory, and likely closing out. If you’re a gunslinger, you might find some heavy ones, but I wouldn’t call it good. After that, it’s essentially over.
From Saturday the 19th through the rest of the month, the swell just fades to nothing—0.1m to 0.3m, with periods mostly in the single digits early on, though some days (like the 24th and 25th) stretch to 14-17 seconds. But with that tiny size, it’s still flat. Winds stay mostly offshore or cross-off, so it’ll be glassy and pretty, but there’s no wave to catch. Combined energy is in the low teens or single digits—weak, nothing happening.
There’s a gap of well over a week with absolutely no surf—just clean, empty water. Beginners have nothing to worry about, but there’s also nothing to learn on. Even the kitesurfers would find it boring, as there’s no push in the water.
The second week stays stubbornly small—0.1m to 0.3m through the 28th, 29th, and into October 1st. Winds stay light to moderate, mostly offshore or cross-off, so it stays clean, but it’s a desert out there. This is just one of those dead runs this area gets sometimes. It won’t stay this poor forever—forecasts can change—but right now, I’d leave the board in the shed.
So, plain and simple: no good surf in this 16-day window. Friday the 18th is the only day with any real size, and even then, it’s a messy, expert-only affair on an inconsistent reef. Otherwise, it’s a long, flat, clean stretch. Keep an eye on the charts, but don’t hold your breath.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu morning, min 12°C on Wed night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue morning, min 11°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WSW on Sun morning, moderate winds from the SW by Sun night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | Monday 21 | Tuesday 22 | ||||||||||||||
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 12 | NNE 12 | NNE 12 | N 5 | N 6 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | E 11 | N 9 | E 11 | E 10 | E 11 | N 13 | N 10 | WSW 3 | NE 12 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
25 | 14 | 14 | 49 | 73 | 355 | 243 | 44 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 11:02PM2.66m | 11:31AM2.63m | 11:44PM2.55m | 12:13PM2.52m | 00:27AM2.44m | 12:58PM2.41m | 1:13AM2.35m | 1:50PM2.33m | 2:03AM2.28m | 2:52PM2.30m | 3:00AM2.24m | 3:57PM2.33m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:50PM0.75m | 5:11AM0.72m | 5:35PM0.86m | 5:53AM0.82m | 6:24PM0.96m | 6:39AM0.93m | 7:17PM1.05m | 7:28AM1.02m | 8:12PM1.11m | 8:23AM1.08m | 9:08PM1.14m | 9:22AM1.10m | 10:05PM1.12m | |||||||
— | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | |
6:12 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:14 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | — | 7 | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 12 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 13 |
Feels °C | 11 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 12 | NNE 12 | NNE 12 | NNE 12 | NE 12 | E 12 | NNE 8 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | N 6 | N 9 | N 6 | N 6 | N 6 | N 13 | — | — | NE 12 |
25 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 5 | 3 | 243 | 44 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 20 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | — | — | 6 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 8 | N 10 | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | E 15 | E 14 | ENE 6 | E 7 | E 12 | E 12 | E 11 | N 6 | E 11 | E 10 | E 11 | N 10 | N 6 | — | N 9 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 11 | N 11 | N 11 | N 11 | — | — | — | N 9 | E 13 | E 6 | E 8 | — | E 11 | E 9 | E 8 | — | E 12 | N 10 | — | E 12 |
2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | 3 | 2 | — | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | N 3 | N 5 | N 6 | NNE 8 | — | SW 4 | SW 4 | SW 4 | W 4 | WSW 5 | SW 5 | SW 4 | SW 4 | WSW 4 | SW 4 | SW 4 | WSW 3 | SSW 4 |
— | — | 8 | 49 | 73 | 355 | — | 65 | 45 | 14 | 23 | 105 | 84 | 35 | 15 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 5 | 29 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 217 | 296 | 41 | 349 | 41 | 39 | 0 | 46 | 169 | 136 | 251 | 349 | 197 | 259 | 259 | 217 | 351 | 217 | 349 | 349 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Auckland | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Information about the Fishermans Reef Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Fishermans Reef provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Fishermans Reef can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Fishermans Reef 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 (Fishermans Reef) 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 Fishermans Reef 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.
Fishermans Reef is 20 km (12 miles) from the city of Northshore. If you plan a holiday in Auckland, look for hotels and other accommodation in Northshore. Northshore has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










