Surf Forecasts:
Houghton Bay surf forecast from 27 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 28 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 13s period, SE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 1 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 21ft (6.5m), 12s period, SSW swell with 11,187 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 27 Jul, 6PM (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 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m 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 6.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 01) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.1m 7s period and expected on Friday (Jul 31) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Mon 27th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Sat 1st Aug) | 21ft (6.5m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Houghton Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here again. Let’s break down Houghton Bay for the next couple weeks.
We’re starting slow. Monday the 27th of July has a weak 4ft south swell at a short 7-second period, with a light cross-on breeze. It’s bumpy and small with moderate energy (372). Not worth getting wet. Monday afternoon drops to 3ft but the period stretches to 12 seconds—more groundswell feel, but still tiny and cross-on.
Tuesday the 28th is where it gets good. Morning brings clean 4ft ESE swell with a 12-second period, a light offshore from the NNE, and energy climbing to (561). That’s a clean, lined-up wave for the beach-and-reef setup. Tuesday afternoon is even better: glassy conditions, 4ft ESE swell, 13-second period, energy at (494). This is the highlight of the first week. Water temp is 55°F, pretty normal for this time of year.
Wednesday the 29th still has clean surf but the wind cranks up. Morning is a strong 30 mph offshore with 3ft ESE swell—rideable but tough paddling. By afternoon it’s 40 mph offshore, too hard to get out. Thursday and Friday are a loss as winds stay strong and swell drops to 2ft then 1ft, energy down to double digits (89, 83). Not surfable.
Then things get wild. Saturday August 1st brings a massive 21ft SSW swell with insane energy (11426), but onshore gales make it a washing machine. Same story Sunday and Monday: huge 16-18ft swell but blown out. This is big and dangerous—better for kite surfing than paddling.
Tuesday August 4th is the next real standout. Morning offers a 7ft SE swell with a 13-second period, a gentle offshore from the NNW, and strong energy (1713). That’s clean, powerful, and offshore—excellent for experienced surfers. The afternoon fades a bit with cross-on wind and 6ft, still good but not as clean.
Wednesday the 5th through Friday the 7th has moderate to solid swell (4–13ft) but cross-on winds keep it choppy. Energy stays high (up to 3120) but quality is marginal.
Saturday August 8th brings another gem: 6ft S swell with a very long 16-second period and glassy conditions. Energy is high (2386). That groundswell will have power, though at a beach-and-reef spot, super long-period waves can straighten out. Still, glassy and clean—a top pick for experienced surfers.
After that, the swell fades. Sunday the 9th has 5ft S swell but onshore, dropping quickly. Monday the 10th has 2ft SSW swell with a 16-second period and gentle offshore—clean but small. Tuesday the 11th is tiny and windy.
Best windows: Tuesday July 28th morning/afternoon, Tuesday August 4th morning, and Saturday August 8th morning. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too messy.
Keep your eye on those days—they’re the ones worth marking on the calendar.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 12°C on Wed night, min 6°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon night, strong winds from the NNW by Wed night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 27mm), heaviest during Fri night. Very mild (max 12°C on Thu morning, min 5°C on Sat night). Mainly near gales. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | |||||||||||||||
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 7 | ESE 12 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | E 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SSW 6 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 11 | SSW 10 | S 12 | S 11 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 138 | 178 | 257 | 504 | 437 | 357 | 265 | 217 | 164 | 109 | 100 | 61 | 37 | 35 | 374 | 11187 | 7242 | 4347 | 4991 | 8679 | 3938 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | off | glassy | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | on | on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 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 | 7:27AM1.44m | 7:46PM1.50m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 1:29PM0.68m | 2:19AM0.69m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | |  | |  | | |  |  | |  |  |  | | | | | |
 | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — |
 | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 2 | — | 9 | 4 | — | 7 | 5 | 2 | 4 |
Temp °C | 9 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
Feels °C | 5 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | -3 | -5 | -4 | -6 | -6 | -6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | E 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | NW 8 | SE 16 | SE 15 | SE 14 | SE 13 | — | SSE 14 |
| kJ | 62 | 64 | 257 | 504 | 437 | 357 | 265 | 217 | 164 | 109 | 100 | 61 | 37 | 35 | 17 | 201 | 174 | 118 | 62 | — | 754 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 13 | ESE 12 | SSE 7 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 14 | S 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SE 11 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 90 | 178 | 40 | 57 | 57 | 33 | 20 | 41 | 112 | 67 | 60 | 35 | 29 | 24 | 20 | 38 | 22 | 8 | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 13 | SSW 7 | SSW 12 | — | — | SE 8 | S 16 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | S 18 | — | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | ESE 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 82 | 16 | 107 | — | — | 23 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 6 | — | 21 | 23 | 24 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 4 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | NW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 11 | SSW 10 | S 12 | S 11 |
| kJ | 138 | — | — | — | — | — | 21 | 65 | 102 | 229 | 177 | 270 | 160 | 148 | 374 | 11187 | 7242 | 4347 | 4991 | 8679 | 3938 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 61 | 65 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 54 | 54 | 62 | 62 | 65 | 124 | 124 | 62 | 109 | 109 | 62 | 194 | 197 | 194 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Wellington | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Houghton Bay surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest