Surf Forecasts:
Houghton Bay surf forecast from 1 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 7 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 15s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 4 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 13s period, S swell with 9,086 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 2 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 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 Sunday (Aug 02) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 14s. 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 5.5m 13s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 04) 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 1.0m 4s period and expected on Monday (Aug 03) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 3PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Tue 4th Aug) | 18ft (5.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Houghton Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, let's talk about what's on the menu for the coming weeks at Houghton Bay. The water is sitting at 55°F, which is about 1°F warmer than usual for this time of year, so nothing too wild there.
We start off a bit rough. The first couple of days are a write-off. Saturday the 1st is a complete mess with a strong 25 mph southerly howling onshore, and a big 13ft swell that's all churned up. No good for anyone. Sunday the 2nd is where it starts to get interesting. The wind swings around to a light northerly, going offshore, and the swell drops to a much more manageable 7ft, coming from the south with a solid 11-second period. The energy's still pumping, and conditions are looking excellent for experienced surfers. This is the standout of the whole period. The south swell direction is a perfect match for the break, and with that clean offshore breeze, it's going to be a proper session. Expect some crowds though, as it's a spot that can get busy.
Sunday afternoon stays clean with a lighter 4ft SSE swell, and Monday morning offers a small 4ft wave with a light cross-shore wind, but the real quality drops off. Then Tuesday the 4th and Wednesday the 5th get hammered by a massive 16ft+ south swell with gale-force southerly winds. That's a solid no-go zone, only for the crazies, and even then it's poor.
The end of the week on Thursday the 6th sees a return of clean conditions with a light offshore wind and a 5ft south swell, but it's nothing special. The real second highlight arrives on Friday the 7th. The morning has a 6ft south swell with a very long 16-second period and a moderate offshore northerly. The afternoon is even better for the experienced crew: an 8ft south swell with the same long 15-second period and clean offshore wind. That's excellent surf, but that long period will make it wall up on the beach, so it's a reef/point setup that would really shine. At Houghton Bay it might be a bit tricky, but the power will be there.
The following week is a slow fade. Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th have some small, clean waves, with Sunday morning turning glassy on a 4ft south swell. From Monday the 10th onward, the swell drops right off. We're looking at knee-high slop with weak energy, and mostly onshore or cross-shore winds. There's a tiny window on Friday the 14th with a clean 3ft ESE swell and a light offshore, but it's ordinary. After that, the wind howls again and the swell is all short-period junk.
The bottom line: if you're an experienced surfer, get in the water on Sunday the 2nd and Friday the 7th. The rest is a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 14°C on Mon afternoon, min 7°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat night, near gales from the SSW by Tue morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Mild temperatures (max 9°C on Thu night, min 6°C on Tue afternoon). Winds decreasing (near gales from the S on Tue afternoon, calm by Wed night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | ||||||||||||||
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) | S 11 | S 12 | S 11 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | S 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 14 | S 12 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | S 16 | S 15 | S 13 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 3968 | 2457 | 917 | 385 | 366 | 389 | 447 | 966 | 7809 | 8669 | 5136 | 2502 | 1848 | 1179 | 575 | 471 | 261 | 1904 | 2987 | 1807 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | glassy | off | off | off | cross | off | on | on | on | on | on | on | glassy | off | off | off | off | off | glassy |
High Tide | 6:54PM1.50m | 7:27AM1.44m | 7:46PM1.50m | 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 | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:33AM0.70m | 1:29PM0.68m | 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 | ||||||||
 |  | | |  | | |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | |  |  | |
 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — |
 | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 7 |
Temp °C | 8 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Feels °C | -1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 1 | -6 | -5 | -4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 15 | S 12 | S 11 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | S 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 14 | — | — | — | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | S 16 | S 15 | S 13 |
| kJ | 147 | 2457 | 917 | 385 | 366 | 389 | 447 | 966 | — | — | — | 2502 | 1848 | 1179 | 575 | 471 | 261 | 1904 | 2987 | 1807 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | SE 14 | SSE 13 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SE 11 | — | — | — | E 19 | SE 18 | SE 16 | SE 11 | SSW 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SE 9 | ESE 13 |
| kJ | 18 | 149 | 253 | 302 | 245 | 186 | 143 | 33 | — | — | — | 7 | 12 | 41 | 314 | 167 | 151 | 136 | 42 | 16 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 10 | SE 13 | SSE 13 | S 22 | S 21 | SSW 18 | NW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | SE 16 | SE 15 | SE 14 | SE 13 | SE 10 | SE 12 | — |
| kJ | — | 8 | 61 | 225 | 9 | 35 | 64 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | 41 | 57 | 66 | 63 | 137 | 24 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | — | NW 3 | NW 4 | NNW 4 | NW 3 | NW 5 | S 7 | S 12 | S 13 | S 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 3968 | — | 9 | 14 | 34 | 3 | 7 | 411 | 7809 | 8669 | 5136 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 205 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 1 | 0 | 61 | 194 | 209 | 112 | 62 | 112 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 0 | 0 |
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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