Surf Forecasts:
Lyall Bay surf forecast from 3 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 9 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 9s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 11 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 7s period, SSW swell with 838 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 9 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 9s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Lyall Bay this week:
The surf forecast for Lyall Bay over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 09) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Lyall Bay in the next 16 days are 3.0m 7s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 11) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 7s period and expected on Friday (Sep 04) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Wed 9th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Wed 9th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Fri 11th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Lyall Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next 16 days at Lyall Bay are a bit of a mixed bag, and for the first week, it’s mostly a write-off. We’ve got a long stretch of poor conditions before anything really worth paddling out for shows up.
The first real opportunity isn’t until Wednesday the 9th of September. The morning will see some small 2ft swell from the S, with a period of 9 seconds, and a light NNE breeze keeping it clean. The combined energy is weak at 123, so it’s not going to be a standout, but it’s surfable. The afternoon gets a bit gusty, so the morning is your window.
The next few days after that are still pretty ordinary, with onshore winds and lumpy conditions. Then we get to Saturday the 12th of September. The morning has a solid 8ft swell from the S, with a period of 11 seconds, and a NNW cross-offshore breeze that should keep the surface clean. The energy is cranking at 1755 (strong). This is a big swell, so it’s for experienced surfers only – beginners should stay well clear. The afternoon swings to the W, making it cross-shore and lumpy, so don’t hang around.
The real standout, if you can handle some size, is Sunday the 13th of September. The morning has a massive 10ft swell from the S, period of 12 seconds, and a SW cross-onshore breeze at 9 mph. The combined energy is a whopping 2483 (very strong). The wind is gentle, but this swell is predicted to be too big for the break – it’s truly only for the most experienced, and even then, it’s a beast. The afternoon sees the wind swing to a NNW cross-offshore, but the swell is still 8ft, and the energy is even higher at 3414. This is a monster day, but it’s all about the experts.
After that, we get a bit of a lull. Tuesday the 15th of September morning has a 4ft swell from the S, period of 10 seconds, and a NNW offshore breeze that will make for clean, fun waves. The energy is moderate at 321. It’s a solid, manageable option for intermediates.
The rest of the second week drops off again, with smaller swells and onshore winds, until the very end. Saturday the 19th of September morning has a tiny 1.0ft swell from the SE, with a long period of 14 seconds, and a N offshore breeze. The energy is very weak at 65, so it’s only for the longboarders. It’s pretty flat, but glassy.
The water temperature here is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri morning, min 11°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (gales from the NNW on Fri morning, fresh winds from the NW by Fri night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 38mm), heaviest during Sun night. Very mild (max 13°C on Sun night, min 7°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NNW on Sun night, light winds from the SE by Tue morning). | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | ||||||||||||||
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 | SSW 10 | S 9 | SSW 7 | S 8 | S 8 | SSW 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | S 6 | S 7 | SSE 7 | SSW 10 | ESE 8 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | SSW 13 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 146 | 33 | 26 | 111 | 33 | 48 | 77 | 140 | 83 | 49 | 139 | 440 | 138 | 102 | 86 | 81 | 81 | 76 | 236 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-off | off | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:00PM1.61m | 10:16AM1.71m | 10:48PM1.62m | 11:08AM1.73m | 11:37PM1.62m | 12:02PM1.74m | 00:30AM1.61m | 12:56PM1.74m | 1:26AM1.59m | 1:52PM1.74m | 2:24AM1.58m | 2:48PM1.72m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:15AM0.59m | 4:46PM0.55m | 5:04AM0.55m | 5:36PM0.51m | 5:52AM0.51m | 6:25PM0.49m | 6:41AM0.48m | 7:15PM0.48m | 7:33AM0.47m | 8:07PM0.49m | 8:30AM0.47m | 9:03PM0.51m | |||||||
 |  |  | |  |  | |  | |  |  | | | | |  | | | | |
 | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — |
mm | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 31 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
Feels °C | 7 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | SSW 10 | S 9 | SSW 7 | S 8 | S 8 | SSW 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 12 | SSW 9 | NW 8 | SSW 15 | SSW 10 | SE 7 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | S 9 | S 9 | SSW 13 |
| kJ | 146 | 33 | 26 | 111 | 33 | 48 | 77 | 140 | 47 | 32 | 14 | 21 | 56 | 59 | 86 | 69 | 81 | 76 | 236 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSE 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | NNW 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 10 | S 9 | S 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 |
| kJ | 39 | 30 | 24 | 21 | 21 | 35 | 4 | 3 | 83 | 49 | 47 | 6 | 20 | 102 | 85 | 81 | 33 | 21 | 5 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | SSW 15 | SSW 10 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SSW 14 | SE 10 | — | — | N 16 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | S 21 | SSW 13 | — |
| kJ | 4 | 22 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 38 | 4 | — | — | 5 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 16 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 6 | NW 7 | NW 5 | NW 5 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NW 7 | NW 6 | S 6 | S 7 | SSE 7 | — | — | — | NNW 2 | NNW 5 | NNW 6 |
| kJ | 195 | 831 | 153 | 123 | 157 | 192 | 269 | 384 | 476 | 201 | 139 | 440 | 138 | — | — | — | 1 | 91 | 284 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 63 | 126 | 77 | 296 | 108 | 115 | 77 | 115 | 108 | 3 | 110 | 110 | 43 | 3 | 145 | 59 | 0 | 43 | 63 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Wellington | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Lyall Bay Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Lyall Bay provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Lyall Bay can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Lyall 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 (Lyall 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 Lyall 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.
Lyall Bay is 6 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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