Surf Forecasts:
Houghton Bay surf forecast from 4 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 6 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s period, SSE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 5 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 11s period, S swell with 5,677 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 6 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s period with SSE 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 06) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 11s. 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 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 08) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Wed 5th Aug) | 16ft (5.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Houghton Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Houghton Bay.
It’s a rough start, no two ways about it. That first Tuesday and Wednesday are a write-off. We’re looking at a solid 18ft swell from the SSW on Tuesday afternoon with a howling 31 mph onshore wind. The wave energy is massive, sitting at 6952, but with conditions like that, it’s just a mess. You wouldn’t want to be out there. Wednesday isn’t much better, with a 13ft swell and a fresh onshore breeze. It’s a long wait for something decent.
The first real glimmer of hope comes on Thursday morning, the 6th of August. The wind drops right out, going glassy, and we’ve got a 5ft SSE swell with a 10-second period. The wave energy is moderate at 842, and the forecast is calling for very good surf. That’s a serious window of clean, workable waves. The afternoon cleans up even more with a light offshore breeze from the NNW, making for some tidy 4ft sets. This is the standout part of the forecast. Get out there on Thursday if you can.
Friday morning is still rideable, but that strong breeze starts to mess with the shape. The swell is a long-period 4ft from the S (15 seconds), which at a beach and reef spot like Houghton Bay can be a bit straight, but it’s worth a look. The afternoon gets blown out again.
The rest of the first week is a bit of a mixed bag. Saturday and Sunday are small with messy cross-offshore winds, but the water temp is about 55°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The second week looks patchy. A few mornings with clean offshore winds, like the 16th of August, with a 5ft SE swell, offer some hope. But the wind picks up again later in the week, with a big 12ft swell on the 18th of August, but it’s getting hammered by a near gale. That’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddling one. The 19th of August is just more of the same, with a solid 8ft swell and onshore winds.
Overall, it’s a tough forecast. The only true standout is that Thursday the 6th of August. If you can get in the water then, you’ll be laughing. The rest of the time, it’s a case of waiting for the right wind to line up with the swell.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 10°C on Fri morning, min 5°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (near gales from the SSW on Tue night, calm by Thu morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 13°C on Sat afternoon, min 9°C on Mon morning). Mainly strong winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 11 | S 11 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | S 15 | S 14 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | S 10 | SSE 6 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 6952 | 6733 | 4379 | 2624 | 1504 | 522 | 355 | 304 | 770 | 932 | 563 | 408 | 389 | 296 | 250 | 245 | 384 | 249 | 393 | 318 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | on | on | on | glassy | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 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 | 1:12PM1.76m | 1:42AM1.62m | 2:07PM1.78m | 2:41AM1.61m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 6:57AM0.54m | 7:30PM0.52m | 7:49AM0.51m | 8:24PM0.50m | |||||||
 |  |  |  |  | | |  | | | |  | |  |  | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — |
 | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — |
mm | — | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 8 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
Feels °C | -6 | -6 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | E 19 | S 12 | S 11 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | S 15 | S 14 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | NNW 8 | NNW 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 |
| kJ | — | — | 7 | 2624 | 1504 | 522 | 355 | 304 | 770 | 932 | 563 | 408 | 389 | 296 | 250 | 245 | 7 | 18 | 58 | 84 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SE 18 | SE 16 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 12 | SE 12 | S 15 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | S 17 | SSW 16 | NNW 10 | SE 12 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 12 | 41 | 281 | 333 | 194 | 175 | 172 | 64 | 51 | 22 | 4 | 99 | 131 | 6 | 25 | 9 | 24 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | SE 16 | SE 12 | SE 15 | SE 12 | S 10 | — | — | SSE 15 | NNW 8 | S 18 | SSW 4 | NW 8 | E 12 | E 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 93 | 39 | 55 | 184 | 117 | — | — | 42 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 21 | 20 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | S 11 | S 12 | — | — | — | — | NNW 3 | NW 5 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NNW 5 | NNW 4 | NNW 6 | — | — | S 10 | SSE 6 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 |
| kJ | 6952 | 6733 | 4379 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 62 | 182 | 195 | 64 | 34 | 80 | — | — | 384 | 249 | 393 | 318 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 256 | 194 | 112 | 209 | 62 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 38 | 0 | 1 | 61 | 109 | 109 | 86 |
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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