Surf Forecasts:
Houghton Bay surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 31 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 1 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, S swell with 4,493 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 17s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Houghton Bay this week:
The surf forecast for Houghton Bay over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 13s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Houghton Bay in the next 16 days are 3.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 7s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Mon 31st Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Houghton Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let's talk about what's happening at Houghton Bay for the next couple of weeks.
Honestly, it's a rough start. From the beginning of the period all the way through until the morning of Thursday, August 27th, it's just no good. Too much wind or not enough swell. That's a solid gap of days where you can leave the board at home.
Things finally turn a corner on the afternoon of Thursday the 27th. The wind shifts light from the NE at only 6 mph, making for some glassy, clean conditions. There's a decent, powerful 6 ft south swell rolling in with a 15-second period. That's proper groundswell energy (moderate energy of 1638). It'll be well-shaped and punchy, but at a beach and reef spot like this, that long period might make it a bit hard to read. It's the best bet in the near term, but it's for experienced surfers only.
After a couple of days of howling offshore winds that make paddling a chore, we get to Monday, August 31st. Now, pay attention. The afternoon shows a 10 ft south swell with that same long 15-second period, and the wind is offshore from the north at a clean 16 mph. The energy is strong at 4167. That's a big wave for big-wave surfers only. This carries into Tuesday, September 1st, which is your true standout. The morning sees a massive 12 ft south swell (strong energy of 4493) with clean, fresh offshore wind. It's the biggest, cleanest swell of the whole 16 days, but if you're not a expert, don't even think about it.
After that, it gets messy again with strong winds and choppy conditions for the rest of the run. A couple of days in the second week, around the 6th and 7th of September, offer a more manageable 6 ft swell, but the period drops way down, so it'll be weak and sloppy. By the 8th and 9th, it's pretty much done.
So, for the experienced crew, the afternoon of Thursday the 27th is a solid early option. But the session you want to circle on the calendar is the morning of Tuesday, September 1st. Big, clean, and powerful. It's a long way out, so don't book the time off just yet, but it's got real potential.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 14°C on Tue morning, min 8°C on Thu morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the NE on Thu afternoon, strong winds from the NNW by Thu night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Fri morning, min 8°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (near gales from the NNW on Fri afternoon, light winds from the SSW by Sun afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | |||||||||||||||
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) | S 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | S 15 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | S 15 | SSW 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 242 | 165 | 360 | 288 | 250 | 888 | 1769 | 1632 | 848 | 416 | 278 | 157 | 149 | 136 | 48 | 163 | 263 | 566 | 2898 | 4167 | 2190 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | on | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:27PM1.54m | 2:54AM1.42m | 3:09PM1.52m | 3:39AM1.41m | 3:54PM1.51m | 4:26AM1.41m | 4:42PM1.51m | 5:15AM1.43m | 5:34PM1.51m | 6:06AM1.46m | 6:28PM1.52m | 6:57AM1.50m | 7:24PM1.54m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:46PM0.71m | 8:51AM0.72m | 9:30PM0.72m | 9:38AM0.71m | 10:20PM0.72m | 10:28AM0.70m | 11:15PM0.73m | 11:19AM0.69m | 00:10AM0.72m | 12:13PM0.68m | 1:01AM0.71m | 1:08PM0.67m | 1:50AM0.69m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | |  | | | |  | | | |  |  | | | | | | | |
 | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — |
 | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 11 |
Feels °C | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | S 15 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | S 15 | SSW 14 |
| kJ | 242 | 136 | 360 | 288 | 250 | 888 | 1769 | 1632 | 848 | 416 | 278 | 157 | 149 | 136 | 48 | 163 | 263 | 566 | 2898 | 4167 | 2190 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SE 14 | ESE 14 | SE 14 | NW 6 | S 7 | SE 13 | ESE 5 | SE 16 | SE 15 | SE 14 | NW 9 | SSW 15 | SSW 13 | SSW 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 7 | — | — | NW 7 |
| kJ | 160 | 165 | 8 | 19 | 7 | 21 | 128 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 21 | 42 | 17 | 7 | 5 | 41 | — | — | 35 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 14 | SE 14 | — | — | SE 11 | SE 13 | SE 13 | — | ESE 12 | SE 16 | ENE 6 | SE 14 | ESE 13 | SE 13 | SE 12 | SSW 9 | SE 12 | SE 12 | — | — | SE 11 |
| kJ | 19 | 8 | — | — | 5 | 7 | 7 | — | 13 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 17 | 26 | 23 | 16 | 6 | 6 | — | — | 5 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 6 | NW 5 | NNW 4 | NW 5 | NW 5 | S 6 | — | — | NNW 4 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NW 7 | NW 6 | NNW 8 | NNW 5 | NW 8 | NW 5 | NW 6 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 154 | 53 | 31 | 59 | 154 | 127 | — | — | 10 | 138 | 196 | 677 | 17 | 62 | 56 | 14 | 66 | 244 | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 75 | 61 | 38 | 38 | 62 | 114 | 28 | 0 | 8 | 65 | 124 | 62 | 0 | 54 | 62 | 75 | 15 | 0 | 55 | 38 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Wellington | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Houghton Bay Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Houghton Bay provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Houghton Bay can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Houghton Bay 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 (Houghton Bay) 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 Houghton Bay 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.
Houghton Bay is 7 km (4 miles) from the city of Wellington. If you plan a holiday in Wellington, look for hotels and other accommodation in Wellington. Wellington has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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