Surf Forecasts:
Le Bons Bay surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 22 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 5s period, N swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 23 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 6s period, N swell with 144 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 5s period with N swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Le Bons Bay this week:
The surf forecast for Le Bons Bay over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 22) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 5s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Le Bons Bay in the next 16 days are 1.5m 6s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 9s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 5s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 5s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Le Bons Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer.
Honestly, the next week and a half is a bit of a write-off for Le Bons Bay. We’ve got a long stretch of poor surf conditions from Thursday the 20th right through to the end of the month. The odd little knee-high bump pops up, but with weak energy and messy wind, it’s nothing to get excited about. The combined energy sits mostly in the 30s to 90s (very weak), and the swell is a mix of short-period E and N junk. Not worth rushing for.
The real action doesn’t kick in until the first days of September, and when it does, it’s a proper turnaround. Tuesday the 1st of September morning is where things start to shine. We’ve got glassy conditions, a clean 3 ft SSE swell with a very long period of 16 seconds, and combined energy jumping to 320 (moderate). That’s the kind of groundswell that brings good shape, especially for a spot like Le Bons Bay that’s exposed to the ESE. The afternoon gets even better: 4 ft from the SSE, period dropping a touch to 15 seconds, but energy is now 825 (strong) and the wind stays glassy. That’s a standout session – clean, groomed, and punchy. Just keep in mind the water is a touch warmer than normal at 51°, which is about 3° above average for this time of year.
Wednesday the 2nd of September afternoon is the big one for the experienced crew. An 8 ft SSE swell, period 12 seconds, and combined energy hitting 2028 (very strong) – that’s serious power. Winds are glassy again, but this size is only for experts. The morning of the 3rd drops a little to 7 ft SSE, still strong energy at 1271, but there’s a light cross-shore ripple that might knock the polish off. Still, if you’re keen on a big swell window, this is your stretch.
Overall, the standout is Tuesday the 1st of September, both morning and afternoon, with clean, glassy winds and a solid SSE groundswell. If you’re an experienced surfer, Wednesday the 2nd afternoon is the one to circle. Just be patient – the first week and a half is a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Sat night. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat morning, min 7°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu night, fresh winds from the WNW by Sat night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue afternoon, min 7°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 9 | ESE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | ESE 11 | NE 5 | N 5 | N 5 | N 6 | NE 8 | NNE 7 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 14 | NE 4 | SE 14 | SE 14 | NNW 5 | SE 14 | NE 8 | E 5 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 39 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 23 | 23 | 42 | 85 | 144 | 102 | 36 | 35 | 35 | 38 | 4 | 51 | 51 | 62 | 31 | 17 | 71 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | on |
High Tide | 10:00AM1.68m | 10:23PM1.59m | 10:56AM1.66m | 11:17PM1.57m | 11:48AM1.67m | 00:08AM1.57m | 12:36PM1.69m | 00:54AM1.59m | 1:21PM1.72m | 1:36AM1.62m | 2:02PM1.76m | 2:17AM1.65m | 2:42PM1.79m | 2:56AM1.68m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:11PM0.46m | 4:30AM0.42m | 5:04PM0.49m | 5:20AM0.45m | 5:54PM0.50m | 6:08AM0.44m | 6:42PM0.49m | 6:53AM0.41m | 7:26PM0.45m | 7:36AM0.37m | 8:08PM0.41m | 8:18AM0.33m | 8:50PM0.37m | ||||||||
 | |  | | |  | |  |  | | | |  | | | | |  | | |  | |
 | 7:16 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — |
 | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 |
Temp °C | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 10 | 15 | 16 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 10 |
Feels °C | 6 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | S 12 | S 16 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | NE 8 | NNE 7 | SSW 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | N 5 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 10 |
| kJ | 404 | 734 | 1257 | 633 | 384 | 274 | 177 | 94 | 46 | 102 | 29 | 498 | 1700 | 962 | 532 | 639 | 225 | 40 | 204 | 195 | 104 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | S 16 | E 9 | E 9 | ESE 11 | NE 5 | E 9 | E 15 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | ESE 14 | SSW 16 | ESE 13 | N 4 | S 16 | SE 14 | S 9 | SSW 14 | SE 14 | NE 8 | ESE 13 |
| kJ | 39 | 192 | 14 | 14 | 23 | 23 | 6 | 4 | 18 | 35 | 36 | 320 | 35 | 2 | 132 | 51 | 59 | 301 | 31 | 16 | 16 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | ESE 8 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | SE 13 | ESE 10 | SE 12 | E 9 | S 16 | S 9 | NNW 4 | ESE 13 | — | ESE 14 | NE 4 | — | SE 14 | SE 14 | NNE 4 | ESE 13 | S 16 |
| kJ | 84 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 15 | 1 | 35 | — | 38 | 4 | — | 51 | 32 | 3 | 17 | 19 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | NNE 3 | NE 4 | — | N 5 | N 5 | N 6 | NNW 5 | SSW 5 | SSW 9 | NNE 8 | — | NNW 3 | N 5 | NNW 4 | NNW 5 | ESE 4 | E 4 | E 5 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 2 | 16 | — | 42 | 85 | 144 | 77 | 19 | 1308 | 6 | — | 2 | 42 | 44 | 62 | 10 | 7 | 71 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 30 | 5 | 168 | 168 | 7 | 28 | 5 | 5 | 141 | 7 | 28 | 5 | 28 | 28 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Canterbury | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Le Bons Bay Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Le Bons Bay provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Le Bons Bay can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Le Bons 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 (Le Bons 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 Le Bons 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.
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