Horseshoe Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(East Cape, New Zealand)

Forecast
- Hourly Forecast
- 16 Day Forecast
Maps
Live
Weather State
Spot Information

Horseshoe Bay Surf Guide

Horseshoe Bay in East Cape is a fairly exposed point break that only works when conditions are just right. Summer offers the optimum conditions for surfing. Ideal winds are from the southwest. Most of the surf here comes from groundswells and the ideal swell angle is from the northeast. Best around high tide. It very rarely gets crowded here. Take care of rips and rocks.

Horseshoe Bay Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Point	3	very consistent	18.3°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Horseshoe Bay:

The best conditions reported for surf at Horseshoe Bay occur when a Northeast swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the Southwest.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

What's the best time of year to surf Horseshoe Bay (for consistent clean waves)?

aprilBest Season: autumn

The best time of year for surfing Horseshoe Bay with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Autumn and most often the month of April. Clean surfable waves are typically found 15% of the time in April while 34% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 51% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

15%

Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.

blown out

34%

Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).

too small

51%

Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Horseshoe Bay Location Map

Interactive Horseshoe Bay surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The closest passenger airport to Horseshoe Bay is Gisborne Airport (GIS) in New Zealand, 122 km (76 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Horseshoe Bay is Whakatane Airport (WHK), also in New Zealand, 128 km (80 miles) away.

Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)

Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.

Horseshoe Bay Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Friday, 8 May 2026, 06:08 Local Time

m, °C	Friday 08
ft, °F	3AM	6AM	9AM	12PM
Wave (m)	NE	NE	NE	NE
Period (s)	8	8	8	8
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	cross	cross	cross- on	cross- on

What does Horseshoe Bay look like?

Latest photos from Horseshoe Bay. Upload your own or view all photos on the gallery page.

Credit: Rob Davies Credit: Rob Davies Credit: Rob Davies

Tides at Horseshoe Bay

Current tide and informaton

For Hicks Bay, New Zealand, 2 km from Horseshoe Bay.

Next High Water: 10:58am | 1.85m

Next Low Water: 05:15pm | 0.65m

NEXT	IS AT (local time)	remaining
high tide
low tide

Horseshoe Bay Sea Temperature

The water temperature (18.3 °C) at Horseshoe Bay is relatively warm. If the sun does come out as forecast, it should feel warm enough to surf in a summer wetsuit. Effective air temperature of 18.0 °C.

Today, many surfers would wear a summer wetsuit.

Current Temp*: 18.3°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite