Surf Forecasts:
Houghton Bay surf forecast from 13 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 14 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 12s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 13 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 12s period, S swell with 1,382 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 14 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 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 Monday (Sep 14) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 12s period. 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 2.3m 12s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 13) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.3m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Mon 14th Sep) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Mon 14th Sep) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 9PM (Sun 13th Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Houghton Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let's break this down, crew. Rusty here, and I'm looking at what we've got coming down the pike for the next couple weeks.
Houghton Bay is the only break worth talking about. It's a beach and reef setup pulling in south swell, but it’s *inconsistent* – it doesn't always line up. Water temp is around 56°F, which is a touch warmer than average for this time of year, so the water is a bit more forgiving.
The first real look comes Sunday the 13th morning. We've got a solid 6 ft S swell with some decent push, but the wind is a light cross-onshore. It's surfable, just a little bumpy. By the afternoon, the wind gets mean and onshore, so that window closes fast.
Monday the 14th is a proper day. The morning shows a good 6 ft S swell, and the wind goes light cross-off from the NNW. That’s going to clean the faces up nicely. The afternoon is even better with a full offshore breeze, 5 ft S swell, and clean conditions. This is your first solid session.
After that, Tuesday the 15th drops off hard. Swell sinks to under 3 ft, and it’s just not worth the paddle.
Then we hit a dead patch. Wednesday 16th through Friday 18th is mostly tiny or blown out. Save your energy.
Saturday the 19th morning is the standout. We’ve got a big 10 ft S swell rolling in with heavy energy, and the wind goes glassy. Dead calm, clean, powerful waves. That’s over 8 ft, so this is for experts only. Beginners, stay on the beach. The afternoon stays big but gets a bit of offshore wind on it, so the morning window is the prize.
Tuesday the 22nd brings another big 10 ft pulse from the south, but the wind is howling onshore at near-gale force. That’s a kite-surfing day, not a paddle-surfing day.
Looking into the second week, Wednesday the 23rd afternoon is a strong candidate. We have a 5 ft, very long-period groundswell from the SSW. That 16-second period is pure energy, and the wind is a clean offshore from the NNW. This will produce long, lined-up sets that are punchy at the reef. Again, for experienced hands only.
The rest of the month fades out. Thursday 24th and Friday 25th have small, weaker swell with mixed wind, so they are just marginal.
Bottom line: if you’re looking for the best, Saturday the 19th morning is the top pick for big, clean, powerful surf. Monday the 14th is your best bet for a fun, clean session with smaller crowds. And Wednesday the 23rd afternoon is a promising long-range call for that groundswell. The rest is a waiting game.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Mon afternoon, min 9°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the W on Sun morning, strong winds from the NNW by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu afternoon, min 11°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NNW on Wed morning, calm by Fri night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | |||||||||||||||
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 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | SSW 10 | S 9 | S 8 | SSW 9 | SE 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 6 | SE 13 | SE 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1070 | 989 | 1154 | 911 | 655 | 229 | 131 | 83 | 37 | 25 | 17 | 19 | 41 | 34 | 40 | 87 | 122 | 273 | 361 | 341 | 301 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | on | cross-on | on | glassy | off | off | cross-on |
High Tide | 6:35PM1.62m | 7:04AM1.62m | 7:30PM1.60m | 7:56AM1.64m | 8:22PM1.59m | 8:44AM1.64m | 9:11PM1.58m | 9:31AM1.63m | 9:57PM1.57m | 10:16AM1.61m | 10:39PM1.55m | 11:00AM1.58m | 11:20PM1.52m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:25PM0.55m | 00:56AM0.64m | 1:21PM0.59m | 1:46AM0.67m | 2:16PM0.63m | 2:35AM0.69m | 3:10PM0.66m | 3:22AM0.70m | 3:59PM0.68m | 4:08AM0.72m | 4:45PM0.68m | 4:51AM0.72m | 5:28PM0.67m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | |  | |  | | |  |  | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — |
 | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:10 | — | — | 6:12 | — | — | 6:13 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 |
Feels °C | 7 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | SSW 10 | S 9 | S 8 | SSW 9 | S 8 | ESE 10 | SSW 14 | NW 5 | SSW 6 | SE 13 | SE 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 |
| kJ | 1070 | 989 | 1154 | 911 | 655 | 229 | 131 | 83 | 37 | 25 | 12 | 10 | 41 | 13 | 40 | 87 | 122 | 273 | 361 | 341 | 301 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 6 | — | — | — | — | SSW 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 10 | SSW 14 | ESE 10 | SSW 13 | SE 9 | SSW 15 | S 5 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 |
| kJ | 5 | — | — | — | — | 149 | 94 | 53 | 26 | 6 | 16 | 19 | 10 | 34 | 13 | 47 | 13 | 135 | 108 | 97 | 61 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 11 | — | — | — | — | E 9 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SE 10 | SSW 13 | S 8 | S 8 | SE 10 | SSW 12 | SSW 10 | SSW 15 | NW 9 | NNW 8 | S 19 | NW 7 |
| kJ | 10 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 41 | 40 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 5 | 1 | 16 | 13 | 20 | 78 | 21 | 7 | 66 | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 3 | NNW 4 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | NNW 6 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NW 5 | NW 4 | SE 3 | SSE 6 | — | — | NNW 3 | NNW 4 | N 3 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 21 | 48 | 108 | 325 | 412 | 269 | 53 | 3 | 5 | 31 | — | — | 3 | 16 | 6 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 61 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 38 | 54 | 60 | 65 | 61 | 38 | 0 | 38 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 38 |
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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