Houghton Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 41.34° S 174.78° E

Houghton Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 am 26 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Houghton Bay sea temperature is
12.2° C
0.0° 

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 25 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 1 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 9s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 1 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 10s period, SSW swell with 4,529 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 27 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 13s 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 Monday (Jul 27) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Houghton Bay in the next 16 days are 5.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 01) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.0m 7s period and expected on Friday (Jul 31) at 3AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 9PM (Mon 27th Jul)3ft (0.9m) 13s
Best Surf 3AM (Sat 1st Aug)15ft (4.5m) 9s
Most Powerful 6AM (Sat 1st Aug)16ft (5.0m) 10s

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 on the cards for our stretch of coast.

The next 16 days start out pretty quiet, with a few small, messy waves this weekend and Monday. The first real standout isn't until Tuesday the 28th, but we've got a solid run of swell coming after that, so it's worth being patient.

Houghton Bay is a beach and reef setup, exposed to the south. The water's sitting at 54°F, which is exactly average for this time of year, so nothing weird going on there.

The first bright spot is Tuesday morning, July 28th. The wind turns northerly and offshore, which is a major positive – it'll be clean. We've got a 4.3ft swell from the ESE, with a period of 12 seconds (a nice long groundswell), and the combined wave energy is moderate at 538. It's a good, solid offering for intermediates, and the offshore wind will have it looking tidy. This is the pick of the first week.

The afternoon of the 28th is still clean with a 3.6ft swell, but the morning is the better bet.

The 29th and 30th see the wind howling from the north, gusting over 25 mph. The swell drops and the conditions are poor, so you're better off finding something else to do.

Then we hit a massive but messy period. August 1st brings a huge 14.8ft S swell, but it's howling onshore from the south at 22 mph. That's not for paddle surfing – that's kite territory, or one for the experts only. The wave energy is extreme (4287). It stays big and a bit lumpy through the 2nd with 9.8-11.5ft swells, but still onshore, so it's a marginal call.

The next real standout is the morning of Wednesday, August 5th. This is a beauty. The wind is glassy – absolutely dead calm – and we've got a 6.6ft swell from the south with a 10-second period. The energy is a strong 1041. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The conditions will be perfect, and the size is meaty. This is the best session in the whole outlook.

The afternoon of the 5th is still good, with a 5.6ft clean swell, but the morning is the magic window.

The 6th and 7th drop off in size, with clean but small 3.3ft and then 1.6ft days. The 8th of August picks up again with a 9.8ft SSW swell, but the wind is a fresh 19 mph offshore. It's clean, but that wind strength will make it tricky to get into the waves.

The 9th has a solid 8.2ft S swell with a moderate offshore wind, giving good, clean conditions. The energy is moderate (674). It's a good option for the second weekend.

After that, the 10th drops back but stays clean, with 6.2ft SSE swells and a fresh offshore wind.

So, the two true standouts are Tuesday morning, July 28th, and Wednesday morning, August 5th. The 5th is the one to circle on the calendar – it's got the best conditions of the entire run.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Mild temperatures (max 9°C on Sun morning, min 6°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon night, fresh winds from the N by Tue night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 27mm), heaviest during Fri night. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu morning, min 8°C on Wed morning). Winds decreasing (near gales from the N on Thu night, light winds from the WNW by Fri night).

Sunday
26
Monday
27
Tuesday
28
Wednesday
29
Thursday
30
Friday
31
Saturday
1
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
1
2
2
3
2
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.4
S
7
0.6
ESE
14
0.6
ESE
13
0.5
E
13
0.8
ESE
12
0.9
ESE
13
1.3
ESE
12
1.1
ESE
13
1
ESE
13
0.9
ESE
13
0.9
ESE
12
0.8
ESE
12
0.6
ESE
12
0.5
ESE
12
0.4
ESE
11
0.4
ESE
11
0.3
SE
15
2.5
SSW
7
4.5
SSW
10
4.5
S
10
4
S
9
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
210
133
118
90
175
257
481
402
326
238
217
164
111
75
40
37
37
676
4124
3550
2403
Wind (km/h)
10
SSE
15
SSE
10
SSW
15
SSW
10
SSW
0
NNW
15
N
10
NNW
15
N
40
N
40
NNW
45
NNW
40
NNW
45
NNW
55
N
40
NNW
40
NW
30
NW
35
S
35
SSE
25
SSE
Wind State
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
on
glassy
off
off
off
off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
on
on
on
High Tide
2:26PM1.60m
2:50AM1.48m
3:07PM1.58m
3:35AM1.45m
3:48PM1.55m
4:20AM1.43m
4:31PM1.53m
5:05AM1.41m
5:16PM1.51m
5:52AM1.41m
6:04PM1.50m
6:40AM1.42m
6:54PM1.50m
Low Tide
8:47PM0.75m
8:49AM0.77m
9:31PM0.76m
9:34AM0.77m
10:17PM0.76m
10:20AM0.75m
11:06PM0.75m
11:06AM0.73m
11:57PM0.74m
11:52AM0.71m
00:46AM0.72m
12:39PM0.70m
1:33AM0.70m
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
rain showers
part cloud
clear
part cloud
mod rain
rain showers
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
heavy rain
cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:35
7:33
7:33
7:31
7:31
7:30
7:28
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:20
5:20
5:21
5:22
5:22
5:23
5:24
 mm
1
6
2
1
17
12
Temp °C
9
9
7
9
9
8
9
9
8
9
12
12
13
12
12
12
11
11
9
9
9
Feels °C
5
4
4
5
6
6
6
6
5
1
4
4
4
3
3
4
3
4
1
1
2
  • 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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