
Surf Forecasts:
Fishermans Reef surf forecast from 11 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 12 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 8s period, ENE swell with 330 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 Wednesday (Aug 12) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 4s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Wed 12th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Fishermans Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright crew, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you—the next couple of weeks for this corner of the world are a bit of a dud for paddle surfing, but there are a few moments worth clocking off for.
First up, Fishermans Reef is a very sheltered, rarely breaking reef break, so it takes a specific set of conditions to even get a wave. For the next several days, we’re looking at a whole lot of "poor surf conditions" with weak, short-period swell and mostly cross-onshore winds. The wave energy is low, between 57 and 107, so not much grunt in the water.
The first real glimmer of hope shows up on Friday morning, the 14th of August. We've got a tiny 2ft to 2ft swell from the NNE, but the wind goes glassy. Zero wind. That’s a major positive for this spot because it cleans up the water. The combined energy is weak at 57 to 77, so it’s small and slow, but if you’re a beginner looking for a practice paddle in clean, tiny conditions, it’s your window.
Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th see a shift. Offshore winds kick in from the SW, 10 to 15 mph, and the swell bumps up to 3ft to 4ft from the east with a period of 8 to 9 seconds. The wave energy climbs to a moderate 129 to 243. This is still small to small-average surf, and Fishermans Reef rarely breaks, so it’s not a guarantee. But if it does break, it’ll be clean with that offshore wind. Saturday morning (3ft, 8s, 96 energy) is glassy, so that’s the pick of the two.
From there, it fades again. The 17th through the 20th are tiny, with swell dipping below 2ft. There's a bit of a spike on the 22nd of August (Saturday) with a 5ft NE swell and a long 12-second period. Combined energy jumps to 480, which is strong. But—and it’s a big but—the wind is onshore from the NE at 12 mph. That’s going to chop it up. That strong energy (480) and long period are promising for shape, but for a sheltered reef, onshore wind is trouble. It’s more of a kite-surfing setup at the beach if the swell wraps in, than a clean day at the Reef.
The standout? Honestly, if you had to pick, Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th mornings. They’ll be small but clean, with offshore wind, and the reef might just cough up a few fun ones. Keep your expectations in check, though—this spot doesn’t break often and the swell is nothing special. Water temp is 57°, about average for this time of year, so a 4/3 will do.
For the rest of the 16 days, it’s a long quiet spell with no real standouts. That’s just the reality for this sheltered corner. Forecasts can change, but right now, Saturday and Sunday are your best bets. After that, the end of the run (around 25th-26th) looks cleaner again, but the swell is tiny.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 28mm), heaviest during Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu afternoon, min 11°C on Tue morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the ENE on Tue night, calm by Thu night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri morning, min 8°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NNE 8 | N 9 | NNE 9 | NE 6 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 6 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NNE 7 | NE 10 | NE 10 | E 8 | E 9 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
101 | 169 | 123 | 252 | 305 | 268 | 165 | 71 | 37 | 33 | 47 | 46 | 60 | 95 | 205 | 241 | 194 | 94 | 78 | 8 | 45 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | glassy | glassy | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off |
High Tide | 6:04PM2.79m | 6:27AM2.72m | 6:57PM2.91m | 7:22AM2.81m | 7:48PM2.98m | 8:13AM2.87m | 8:36PM3.02m | 9:03AM2.90m | 9:23PM3.01m | 9:51AM2.89m | 10:09PM2.96m | 10:38AM2.85m | 10:54PM2.87m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:40AM0.63m | 00:19AM0.72m | 12:41PM0.54m | 1:15AM0.62m | 1:35PM0.46m | 2:06AM0.55m | 2:24PM0.41m | 2:54AM0.50m | 3:09PM0.42m | 3:40AM0.50m | 3:53PM0.48m | 4:23AM0.53m | 4:36PM0.58m | ||||||||
7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | |
— | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 6 | 13 | 5 | 1 | — | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 10 |
Feels °C | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 8 | N 9 | NNE 9 | — | — | E 14 | E 13 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NNE 7 | E 6 | NE 10 | E 8 | E 9 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 7 |
101 | 169 | 123 | — | — | 4 | 3 | 71 | 37 | 33 | 26 | 46 | 60 | 95 | 205 | 241 | 194 | 94 | 78 | 90 | 52 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 12 | — | — | — | — | — | N 11 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | NE 10 | E 6 | NE 10 | NE 9 | NNE 9 | E 10 | — | E 8 | E 8 | E 10 | E 10 |
6 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 35 | 16 | 20 | 47 | 20 | 33 | 30 | 8 | 2 | — | 33 | 5 | 8 | 45 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 12 | — | — | — | — | — | E 13 | NE 10 | E 15 | E 15 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | — | — | — | — | — | E 15 | N 11 |
— | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 23 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | ENE 4 | NE 6 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 6 | NNE 3 | — | — | — | SE 3 | SSW 2 | — | SSW 2 | SSE 3 | — | SE 3 | SSE 4 | S 3 | — |
— | — | 13 | 252 | 305 | 268 | 165 | 2 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 31 | 4 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 5 | 39 | 39 | 75 | 41 | 41 | 39 | 28 | 39 | 5 | 5 | 28 | 5 | 28 | 46 | 39 | 39 | 42 | 66 | 29 | 28 |
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)
Latest Updates
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.











