
Surf Forecasts:
Lyall Bay surf forecast from 26 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 27 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 13s period, ESE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 2 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 23ft (7.0m), 13s period, S swell with 17,009 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 27 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 13s period with ESE 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 Monday (Jul 27) at 9PM. 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 Lyall Bay in the next 16 days are 7.0m 13s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 02) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 7s period and expected on Friday (Jul 31) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Mon 27th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Mon 27th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 23ft (7.0m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Lyall Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, and I’ve had a good look at what’s heading our way for Lyall Bay over the next couple of weeks. Strap in, because it’s a wild ride.
We’re starting off with a bit of a flat spell, to be honest. Monday the 27th is a write-off – tiny, messy waves with a cross-onshore breeze. Nothing doing. The good news is that it doesn’t stay quiet for long.
The first real ray of hope turns up on Tuesday the 28th. The morning sees a clean 4 ft swell from the ESE with a nice 12-second period, and it’s going offshore with a light breeze. The afternoon is even better – glassy conditions, dead calm, with the same 4 ft of clean ESE groundswell. The wave energy is moderate (582), and this is the standout session of the first week. Crowds are possible here, so get in early.
Wednesday the 29th stays clean with a stiff offshore wind, but the swell drops to 3 ft and the wind gets strong, making it hard work. By the afternoon it’s a howling 25 mph offshore, which is clean but a real battle to paddle into. Thursday and Friday are similar – small, clean, but blown out by strong winds, with the swell dropping to tiny numbers.
Then things get heavy. From Friday the 31st afternoon through to Monday the 3rd of August, we’ve got a massive pulse of windswell and storm swell. The wave energy skyrockets to four and five-digit values (17009 on the 2nd of August!), but it’s all onshore, howling, and totally unsurfable. This is for the experts only, and even then, it’s a mess. If you’re into kiting, that Saturday the 1st and Sunday the 2nd with 16 ft to 23 ft of southerly swell and gale-force winds might look interesting, but for a paddle surfer? Stay home.
Once that storm passes, the scene shifts. Tuesday the 4th of August is the real prize. The swell has dropped to a solid 7 ft from the SE, with a 12-second period, and the wind is light, cross-offshore in the morning and then gentle offshore in the afternoon. Wave energy is still strong (1282), and the conditions are described as "very good." This is the best day on offer – clean, powerful, and lined up. Get ready for that one.
The following days (5th to 7th of August) are a mix of good, clean, offshore conditions with dropping swell, but still fun. By the 8th, the swell picks up again but the wind turns onshore, making it tricky. The real standout of the second week arrives on Sunday the 9th of August. The morning serves up 8 ft of SE swell, strong offshore winds, and very good conditions. The energy is strong (1118), and it’s clean. This is a big, powerful day for the confident crew.
After that, the run into the 10th and 11th of August is manageable but a bit ordinary, with moderate to fresh offshore winds and dropping swell. You’ll get waves, but the magic is gone.
So, to wrap it up: Tuesday the 28th of July is your glassy, clean winner for the first week. Tuesday the 4th of August and Sunday the 9th of August are the big, powerful, clean standouts for the second week, but the 9th is a tad less certain being further out. Stay safe out there.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 11°C on Wed afternoon, min 7°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon night, strong winds from the NNW by Wed afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Thu night. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu afternoon, min 6°C on Sat morning). Winds increasing (moderate winds from the SW on Fri night, near gales from the S by Sat afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 13 | E 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | SSW 14 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | SSW 6 | S 9 | SSW 9 | SSW 10 | S 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
156 | 90 | 178 | 257 | 473 | 497 | 421 | 265 | 217 | 164 | 109 | 74 | 40 | 38 | 262 | 607 | 2704 | 5484 | 5516 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | off | glassy | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | on | on |
High Tide | 2:50AM1.48m | 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 | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:49AM0.77m | 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 | |||||||
— | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
Temp °C | 7 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 8 |
Feels °C | 3 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | -3 | -5 | -4 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | NW 7 | SSW 14 | SE 16 | SE 16 | SE 15 |
79 | 62 | 66 | 257 | 473 | 497 | 421 | 265 | 217 | 164 | 109 | 74 | 40 | 38 | 14 | 471 | 163 | 239 | 76 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 13 | E 13 | ESE 12 | SSE 7 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | ESE 11 | SE 14 | SE 13 | E 11 | E 10 |
156 | 90 | 178 | 38 | 78 | 52 | 33 | 20 | 40 | 130 | 67 | 61 | 34 | 14 | 23 | 32 | 61 | 20 | 8 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 9 | SSW 7 | SSW 12 | SE 11 | — | SE 8 | S 16 | SSW 9 | — | S 18 | — | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 15 | SE 18 | E 11 | — | E 12 |
56 | 48 | 16 | 107 | 31 | — | 24 | 5 | 8 | — | 6 | — | 21 | 23 | 37 | 50 | 9 | — | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 4 | NNW 5 | NW 5 | NNW 5 | NNW 6 | NNW 7 | NW 5 | SSW 6 | S 9 | SSW 9 | SSW 10 | S 11 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 21 | 65 | 143 | 133 | 243 | 479 | 110 | 262 | 607 | 2704 | 5484 | 5516 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 6 | 59 | 77 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 54 | 54 | 63 | 108 | 64 | 63 | 126 | 88 | 110 | 110 | 195 |
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.










