Houghton Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 41.34° S 174.78° E

Houghton Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 pm 02 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Houghton Bay sea temperature is
13.0° C
0.9° 

Houghton Bay surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Houghton Bay surf forecast from 2 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 3 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 12s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 4 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 12s period, SSW swell with 7,993 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 3 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 12s 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 Monday (Aug 03) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 11s. 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 5.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 6s period and expected on Friday (Aug 07) at 6PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)12PM (Mon 3rd Aug)4ft (1.2m) 12s
Best Surf12PM (Mon 3rd Aug)4ft (1.2m) 12s
Most Powerful 9AM (Tue 4th Aug)18ft (5.5m) 12s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Houghton Bay over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Houghton Bay. Let’s get into it.

The first part of the run is a write-off, but there’s a few windows of clean surf if you’re patient. The real standout is Monday the 3rd afternoon, with a moderate SSW swell of 4 ft and a clean offshore northerly wind at 12 mph. The wave energy is moderate (662), and the swell is coming from a solid direction for this spot, straight out of the south. That’s your best bet for a proper session in the first week.

We’ve got a massive pulse of swell mid-week, but it’s a total loss. Tuesday the 4th and Wednesday the 5th see a monster SSW swell pushing 18 ft to 10 ft, but with onshore near-gale winds (31 mph) and wave energy hitting 7993 (strong to very strong). This is a full-on storm event, paddle-out dangerous, and the onshore winds will shred the surface. This is more a window for kite surfers than paddle surfers.

Thursday the 6th rewards the patient. Morning glassy conditions with a light WNW breeze at 3 mph, and a clean 5 ft SSE swell. Wave energy is moderate (790). The afternoon holds a gentle offshore at 9 mph. That’s a solid, clean day.

Friday the 7th is tricky. A long-period S swell arrives at 16 seconds, but the swell is short and bumpy with a fresh offshore breeze ramping up to 22 mph. The energy is high (1669), but the set intervals will be long and the wind is blustery. For the experienced surfer, maybe a handful of bombs, but the crowd factor is likely. It’s marginal.

The weekend and into the next week, the surf drops off. Saturday the 8th is clean but small, and Sunday the 9th is mostly onshore and messy. There’s a gap of a few days with no real highlights.

Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th see a return to clean, small swell. A 4 ft SSW swell Monday morning with a light ENE cross-off breeze and moderate energy (607). The best bet in the second week is Thursday the 13th afternoon. An offshore NNW breeze at 6 mph, 4 ft from the SSE, and clean conditions. It’s small, but it’s smooth. The energy is low (267) so it’s a fun small-wave board day.

Further out, Friday the 14th has a light offshore breeze with a 4 ft SE swell. The swell energy is weak (200-224) and the period is short (8 seconds). It’s small, clean, and mellow.

The water temperature is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual. No need to worry about a wetsuit if you’re used to typical winter temps.

Bottom line: Monday the 3rd afternoon is the standout. Thursday the 6th is your cool, clean day. The rest is a waiting game for small, clean windows.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Mon night. Very mild (max 14°C on Mon afternoon, min 5°C on Tue morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the W on Mon morning, near gales from the SSW by Tue night).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Some drizzle, heaviest during Fri night. Very mild (max 13°C on Sat morning, min 5°C on Thu morning). Winds increasing (calm on Thu morning, strong winds from the NNW by Fri morning).

Monday
3
Tuesday
4
Wednesday
5
Thursday
6
Friday
7
Saturday
8
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
2
3
3
0
0
0
0
0
3
3
3
3
2
1
1
1
0
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.2
SSE
11
1.1
S
13
1.2
SSW
12
1.9
SSW
14
5.5
SSW
12
5.5
SSW
11
5.5
S
11
4
S
12
3
S
12
1.9
S
11
1.6
SSE
10
1.4
S
10
1.6
SSE
10
1.6
S
16
1.9
S
15
1.6
S
12
1.4
S
12
1.3
S
11
0.8
S
17
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
366
402
447
1512
7993
7656
6687
3887
2416
866
491
384
512
1334
1614
787
520
396
364
Wind (km/h)
35
N
5
WSW
20
N
10
SSE
50
SSW
55
SSW
55
SSW
35
SSW
20
SSW
15
SSW
5
WNW
15
N
25
N
40
NNW
45
NW
40
NNW
30
NNW
25
NNW
10
SSE
Wind State
off
cross
off
on
on
on
on
on
on
cross-on
glassy
off
off
off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
on
High Tide
8:15AM1.48m
8:39PM1.52m
9:01AM1.53m
9:29PM1.55m
9:47AM1.59m
10:17PM1.57m
10:35AM1.64m
11:05PM1.60m
11:25AM1.69m
11:54PM1.62m
12:17PM1.73m
00:46AM1.62m
Low Tide
2:19AM0.69m
2:21PM0.67m
3:05AM0.67m
3:15PM0.66m
3:50AM0.66m
4:07PM0.64m
4:36AM0.63m
4:58PM0.61m
5:22AM0.60m
5:48PM0.58m
6:09AM0.57m
6:39PM0.54m
clear
clear
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
rain showers
clear
cloud
light rain
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:26
7:26
7:24
7:22
7:22
7:20
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:27
5:28
5:29
5:30
5:30
5:31
 mm
5
1
3
5
1
1
3
Temp °C
10
12
14
9
7
6
6
7
8
7
7
8
8
11
11
12
13
13
11
Feels °C
3
9
9
3
-5
-6
-7
-2
2
3
4
4
4
1
2
6
8
8
10
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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