Houghton Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 41.34° S 174.78° E

Houghton Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 13 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Houghton Bay sea temperature is
12.3° C
0.3° 

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 13 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 12s period, S swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 16s period, S swell with 6,227 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 13 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 8s period with ESE 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 13) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Houghton Bay in the next 16 days are 3.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) 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 0.6m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 13) at 6PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6PM (Thu 13th Aug)1.5ft (0.4m) 8s
Best Surf 6AM (Thu 20th Aug)7ft (2.1m) 12s
Most Powerful12PM (Wed 19th Aug)11ft (3.5m) 16s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Houghton Bay over the next couple of weeks. Straight up, I gotta be honest with ya – it’s gonna be a proper test of patience. We’ve got a long stretch of grim conditions ahead before we finally get a decent window.

The first sniff of anything surfable is Thursday the 13th of August, but it’s barely a ripple. We’re looking at a tiny 1ft SSE swell with a period of 9 seconds, so not much push behind it. The wind is out of the NNE at 12 mph though, blowing offshore, so the surface will be clean. The water temp is sitting at 54°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, nothing wild there. You could get out for a splash, but it’s really just surfable, not good.

Then we hit a brutal dry spell. From Friday the 14th right through to Tuesday the 18th, it’s mostly onshore, windy, and downright messy. The swell does show up on Sunday the 16th, jumping to a proper 13ft to 13ft from the south, but with a screaming 31 mph southerly on it, it’s not surfable. That’s kite-surf territory, not for a paddle board. The combined energy hits 2848 (strong) but with those winds, it’s a no-go. Real shame.

We finally get a glimmer of hope by Thursday the 20th of August. This is the standout, the real highlight of this whole outlook. Thursday morning is where it’s at. A clean 6ft swell from the south with a nice long 12-second period – that’s proper groundswell energy with a combined energy reading of 1018 (strong). And the wind? Dead calm. Glassy as a mirror. That’s excellent surf for any experienced surfer. Houghton Bay is an exposed beach and reef setup, so that long-period south swell should wrap in nicely, but keep in mind it’s usually inconsistent here so you’ll have to wait for the sets. The crowd factor is listed as "sometimes", so you might have a few heads out, but nothing too hectic.

Thursday afternoon is still good, with the swell dropping slightly to 6ft, a light 6 mph north offshore wind keeping it clean. That’s another solid session.

After that, it fades off again. Friday the 21st offers some knee-high stuff around 4ft to 4ft with moderate offshore winds, but it’s marginal. From Saturday the 22nd onward, it’s pretty small and weak, with the combined swell energy dropping into the double digits (139 or less) – just not enough power to get excited about. There’s another spike on Tuesday the 25th with a 5ft S swell and a 12-second period, but the wind is screaming from the NNW at 25 mph. That makes it strong offshore and clean, but hard to actually paddle into and catch anything. Only for the most determined.

The rest of the month just kind of trickles away with tiny, weak swell and messy wind. No real standouts after that 20th.

So, to sum it up: if you’re gonna pick a day, make it Thursday the 20th of August. Get up early for that glassy, 6ft S groundswell. That’s the one. Everything else is a waiting game.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu afternoon, min 7°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Fri night, near gales from the SSW by Sat night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 11°C on Tue afternoon, min 8°C on Sun morning). Winds decreasing (near gales from the S on Sun morning, light winds from the SSW by Tue afternoon).

Thursday
13
Friday
14
Saturday
15
Sunday
16
Monday
17
Tuesday
18
Wednesday
19
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
4
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
SSE
9
0.4
SE
9
0.4
SE
8
0.4
SE
9
0.7
S
4
1
E
7
0.3
SSW
16
0.4
SSW
16
3.5
SSW
7
4
S
9
3.5
S
8
2
S
8
2
S
7
3
S
8
3
S
8
2.5
S
8
1.7
S
8
3
S
8
3.5
S
11
3.5
S
15
2.5
S
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
32
24
24
23
17
100
53
80
1078
2827
1605
463
364
898
1041
898
386
1395
2759
5118
2103
Wind (km/h)
20
NNE
20
NNW
15
N
15
S
15
SSE
5
SSE
10
SSE
30
S
60
SSW
55
S
45
S
40
S
25
SSW
25
S
30
SSW
30
SSW
10
SSW
30
S
35
S
25
SSE
10
SSW
Wind State
off
off
off
on
on
on
on
on
on
on
on
on
on
on
on
on
cross-on
on
on
on
on
High Tide
5:01PM1.75m
5:37AM1.60m
6:00PM1.72m
6:34AM1.61m
6:58PM1.68m
7:30AM1.63m
7:55PM1.65m
8:23AM1.64m
8:49PM1.63m
9:14AM1.65m
9:40PM1.61m
10:02AM1.64m
10:28PM1.60m
Low Tide
10:46AM0.45m
11:28PM0.53m
11:45AM0.45m
00:28AM0.54m
12:44PM0.47m
1:24AM0.56m
1:42PM0.51m
2:17AM0.58m
2:40PM0.55m
3:08AM0.61m
3:35PM0.59m
3:57AM0.64m
4:27PM0.63m
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
mod rain
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
rain showers
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:13
7:13
7:11
7:09
7:09
7:07
7:05
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:37
5:37
5:38
5:39
5:40
5:42
5:43
 mm
6
1
Temp °C
12
13
12
12
12
12
13
11
9
9
9
8
8
10
10
10
11
11
10
10
9
Feels °C
9
10
9
9
9
11
12
6
0
-2
-2
-2
1
4
3
3
8
4
3
5
7
  • Map Icons:
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  • 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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