
Surf Forecasts:
Houghton Bay surf forecast from 23 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 27 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 11s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 7s period, SSW swell with 489 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 27 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 11s period with SSW 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 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m 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 2.3m 7s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.3m 7s period and expected on Friday (Jul 24) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Mon 27th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Mon 27th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 9PM (Sat 25th Jul) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Houghton Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for Houghton Bay.
The next couple of weeks are a real mixed bag, with a lot of wind and lumpy conditions to sift through. The first few days are pretty much a write-off, so don’t even bother waxing up until we get past the weekend. There’s a promising window of clean, smaller surf early next week, and then a big, powerful pulse rolls in for the start of August, though it comes with plenty of wind. The standout session is looking like Monday morning, 27 July, at Houghton Bay.
That Monday morning (27 July), the wind drops to glassy—absolutely dead calm—and you’ve got a 2ft swell from the SSW with a period of 11 seconds. It’s a long period groundswell, which is perfect for this exposed beach and reef setup, giving shaped-up lines and long waits between sets. The combined swell energy is a moderate 203, so there’s enough push to get you moving. The water is sitting at 53°F, which is about average for the time of year, so a good wetsuit is a must. This is the pick of the forecast for clean, cruisy waves.
The good news continues into Tuesday, 28 July. The morning session sees a 4ft ESE groundswell (13-second period) with a gentle offshore wind from the N. Combined energy is up to a solid 432, meaning moderate power. The afternoon stays clean with a moderate offshore breeze, keeping the faces tidy. This is a solid runner-up for the week.
Now, the gap. After that Tuesday, the wind starts to howl from the N and NNW, making it hard to paddle into anything, even though the swell direction stays favourable. From Wednesday, 29 July, right through to the end of the month, the conditions get messy with strong winds and onshore flow. There’s a brief moment on Friday afternoon, 31 July, where the wind goes glassy again, and you get a 2ft SSW groundswell, but it’s a short-lived window.
Then we hit the big stuff. The start of August brings a serious pulse of swell. Saturday morning, 1 August, you’ve got a 10ft SSW swell, but it’s short period at 7 seconds, coming with a fresh offshore wind. The combined energy is a massive 1062, which is strong, but that short period means it’ll be a bit lumpy and closed out. This is expert territory, and only for the brave. The following days see even bigger swell—up to 16ft from the SSE on 6 August—but that’s accompanied by strong cross-onshore winds, making it a messy, blown-out mess. Not recommended for a paddle, but if you’re into kite surfing, that 16ft and 4026 combined energy on Thursday, 6 August, will be a wild ride.
To sum it up: get out there on Monday, 27 July, or Tuesday, 28 July, for the cleanest, most fun waves. The big stuff at the start of August is a wind-blown spectacle for experts only.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Sat morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Fri afternoon, min 6°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NNW on Fri morning, light winds from the WSW by Sun night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 12°C on Wed afternoon, min 6°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon night, strong winds from the NW by Wed night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | |||||||||||||||
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) | S 9 | S 9 | S 14 | SSW 5 | SSW 6 | SSW 7 | S 7 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | SSW 11 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | SSW 17 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
7 | 6 | 7 | 47 | 282 | 352 | 162 | 133 | 118 | 91 | 186 | 320 | 373 | 331 | 331 | 269 | 189 | 227 | 121 | 83 | 81 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | cross-off | on | on | on | on | on | on | glassy | glassy | glassy | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 12:59PM1.62m | 1:17AM1.54m | 1:44PM1.61m | 2:04AM1.51m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:19PM0.71m | 7:24AM0.73m | 8:03PM0.73m | 8:06AM0.76m | 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 | ||||||||
7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | |
— | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | |
mm | 4 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Temp °C | 12 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 |
Feels °C | 2 | 5 | 4 | 5 | -2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 8 | S 9 | SE 13 | NNW 8 | SE 13 | SE 16 | S 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 |
6 | 6 | 7 | 26 | 27 | 124 | 162 | 66 | 63 | 25 | 186 | 320 | 373 | 331 | 331 | 269 | 189 | 131 | 121 | 83 | 81 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | SE 12 | S 14 | ESE 13 | NNW 8 | SSW 16 | ESE 15 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 12 | S 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 17 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | NNW 6 |
7 | 6 | 4 | 17 | 7 | 49 | 142 | 133 | 118 | 91 | 121 | 111 | 59 | 39 | 20 | 41 | 73 | 227 | 62 | 67 | 16 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 12 | S 8 | S 9 | SSW 17 | ESE 18 | NNW 9 | SSW 14 | SSW 7 | SSW 12 | E 13 | SSE 7 | — | — | — | — | SSW 10 | SW 9 | — | — | — | SSW 14 |
6 | 1 | 2 | 28 | 31 | 8 | 41 | 43 | 50 | 87 | 17 | — | — | — | — | 9 | 3 | — | — | — | 69 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NW 6 | SSW 5 | SSW 6 | SSW 7 | SSE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | N 3 | NNW 4 | NNW 3 | NNW 4 | NNW 5 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NW 6 | — |
445 | 450 | 148 | 47 | 282 | 352 | 111 | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 12 | 2 | 21 | 158 | 224 | 320 | 326 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 137 | 137 | 65 | 27 | 112 | 61 | 27 | 61 | 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 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.










