Surf Forecasts:
Houghton Bay surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 31 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 12s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 31 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 12s period, SSW swell with 5,603 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 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 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 13s. Another secondary swell of 1.0m and 5s is also forecast. 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 4.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 31) 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 3.0m 8s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Mon 31st Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Mon 31st Aug) | 15ft (4.5m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Houghton Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at the options for the coming weeks down at Houghton Bay.
The forecast period starts on Wednesday the 26th of August and stretches out to Thursday the 10th of September, but there's a quiet start. The first solid recommendation doesn't pop up until Thursday the 27th. Before that, we've got a couple of days of messy, wind-affected conditions that are best left alone.
The first real chance to get wet comes on Thursday the 27th of August. The morning is a bit iffy with a messy cross-onshore breeze, but the afternoon cleans up nicely. You'll see a solid 6 ft of south swell with a long, juicy 15-second period, clocking in at a powerful combined energy of 1531. The wind goes light and cross-offshore, setting up some clean lines. This one is for experienced surfers though – that size and period combo can pack a punch.
The real standout, and I mean the one to circle on the calendar, is Tuesday the 1st of September. The morning session sees a massive 20 ft SSW groundswell, with a period of 14 seconds and an insane combined energy of 28310. That's just huge. The wind is light cross-onshore, but for a spot like Houghton Bay, the swell is just too big for a paddle session unless you are a serious charger. The data literally says it's too big for this break. It'll be a spectacular show, but mostly for the eyes.
After that, the surf drops back down quickly. Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd see cleaner, offshore winds but the size drops to the 2 ft to 6 ft range. The winds are often strong, making it tough to get into the smaller waves. There's a slight flicker on Sunday the 6th of September with a 3 ft SSW groundswell, a very long 17-second period (combined energy 397), and moderate offshore winds in the morning. It'll be clean, but small and those long-period waves might wall up a bit on this beach/reef setup. The final half-decent mention is Tuesday the 8th of September with a 6 ft SSW, 15-second swell (combined energy 1500), but fresh cross-offshore winds will keep it bumpy.
Water temp is around 53°, which is pretty standard for this time of year, so don't expect a warm one.
All in all, Thursday the 27th of August afternoon is your best bet for a decent, paddleable session. The big stuff on the 1st of September is a spectacle, not a session, unless you're an absolute gun.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Wed morning, min 9°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the E on Thu morning, near gales from the NNW by Fri afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Sun morning, min 9°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NNW on Sat morning, calm by Mon night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 17 | S 17 | S 17 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSW 14 | S 7 | S 12 | SSW 12 | S 9 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 292 | 250 | 763 | 1357 | 1837 | 848 | 416 | 282 | 160 | 198 | 149 | 100 | 32 | 36 | 435 | 3925 | 1754 | 1947 | 4358 | 2259 | 1570 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | on | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 7:48AM1.56m | 8:18PM1.56m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 2:06PM0.65m | 2:39AM0.67m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | |  | |  |  |  | | | |  | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — |
 | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — |
mm | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 3 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 |
Feels °C | 8 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 17 | S 17 | S 17 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSW 9 | SSW 14 | S 12 | SSW 12 | NW 7 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 |
| kJ | 292 | 250 | 763 | 1357 | 1837 | 848 | 416 | 282 | 160 | 198 | 149 | 100 | 32 | 16 | 322 | 3925 | 1754 | 15 | 4358 | 2259 | 1570 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | WNW 6 | S 7 | SE 13 | E 5 | SE 16 | SE 15 | SSE 14 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | SSW 9 | SSW 14 | NW 6 | — | SE 11 | — | — | — | S 17 |
| kJ | 19 | 18 | 82 | 161 | 6 | 25 | 10 | 8 | 41 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 36 | 6 | — | 5 | — | — | — | 459 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SE 13 | SE 13 | — | ESE 12 | SE 16 | ESE 15 | SE 14 | S 15 | S 15 | S 19 | ESE 12 | SSE 10 | NW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 7 | 7 | — | 13 | 10 | 21 | 8 | 4 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 18 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 5 | NW 6 | — | — | E 5 | N 3 | NNW 6 | NNW 8 | NW 6 | NNW 5 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NW 5 | NW 6 | S 7 | — | NW 6 | S 9 | — | NNW 3 | NNW 3 |
| kJ | 54 | 172 | — | — | 41 | 4 | 131 | 1056 | 228 | 153 | 331 | 79 | 179 | 192 | 435 | — | 208 | 1947 | — | 6 | 6 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 38 | 62 | 61 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 54 | 124 | 62 | 60 | 75 | 0 | 1 | 75 | 114 | 0 | 75 | 0 | 28 | 55 | 62 |
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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