Surf Forecasts:
Lyall Bay surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 9s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 20ft (6.0m), 11s period, S swell with 8,605 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 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 Thursday (Aug 20) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 11s. 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 6.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.2m 6s period and expected on Friday (Aug 21) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 9PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 20ft (6.0m) 11s |
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 mixed bag of pain and potential. We’ve got a run of messy, blown-out conditions to start, but there’s a couple of windows that’ll get the blood pumping if you’re patient.
The first real chance to get wet doesn’t come until Thursday, August 20th. After days of howling southerlies and big, unruly surf, we finally get a glass-off. Thursday morning is looking glassy with a light south-west breeze, and a clean 6ft S swell, period around 9 seconds. The combined energy is moderate at 447 – nothing massive, but it’ll be lined up. The water temp is sitting at 55°, which is about average for the time of year, so you won’t need a steamer twice as thick. Thursday afternoon cleans up even more with a light offshore northerly and 5ft S swell. That’s your best early option.
We get a couple of stinkers after that – Friday and Saturday are blown out by strong north-west winds, even though the swell is clean, the wind is just too strong. Then Sunday drops right off to tiny little waves.
The real standout, the one you should circle on the calendar, is Saturday, August 29th and Sunday, August 30th. Saturday morning kicks off with a clean 4ft S swell, but it’s Saturday afternoon that gets the nod: 6ft of S swell with a moderate offshore northerly wind. The combined energy is a solid 796, and the wind is offshore and clean. This is the pick of the whole forecast. Sunday morning follows up with a similar 6ft S swell, period around 10 seconds, and moderate offshore breezes. The energy is 781. These two days have the best combination of size, clean conditions, and consistent energy. The swell direction is from the south, which is the optimum for this spot, so Lyall Bay should be running nicely. Just be aware that this is a fairly exposed spot, and crowds can be a thing sometimes.
There’s a couple of days in the second week worth a look, but they’re more marginal. Friday, August 28th has a fresh offshore wind and a 5ft SSW swell (energy 920), but it’s a bit of a gamble with the tide. And Tuesday, September 1st is just a no-go thanks to strong onshore winds.
So, to sum it up: if you’re keen, wait for the Thursday glass-off, but the real gold is on the weekend of August 29th and 30th. That’s where you want to be.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed morning. Very mild (max 11°C on Tue morning, min 8°C on Mon afternoon). Winds decreasing (near gales from the SSW on Tue afternoon, calm by Thu morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat afternoon, min 10°C on Thu afternoon). Winds increasing (light winds from the N on Thu afternoon, gales from the NW by Sat night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 8 | S 7 | S 8 | S 10 | S 11 | S 11 | S 14 | S 13 | S 9 | S 9 | S 12 | S 13 | S 13 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 406 | 339 | 1190 | 4551 | 8112 | 3925 | 3857 | 1604 | 421 | 380 | 520 | 609 | 402 | 256 | 188 | 143 | 72 | 30 | 21 | 218 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:49PM1.63m | 9:14AM1.65m | 9:40PM1.61m | 10:02AM1.64m | 10:28PM1.60m | 10:50AM1.63m | 11:13PM1.57m | 11:37AM1.61m | 11:56PM1.55m | 12:22PM1.59m | 00:39AM1.51m | 1:05PM1.58m | 1:24AM1.48m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:08AM0.61m | 3:35PM0.59m | 3:57AM0.64m | 4:27PM0.63m | 4:44AM0.66m | 5:16PM0.66m | 5:28AM0.69m | 6:02PM0.68m | 6:09AM0.71m | 6:44PM0.69m | 6:48AM0.72m | 7:25PM0.70m | ||||||||
 |  | |  |  |  | | |  | | | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — |
 | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 9 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 |
Feels °C | 3 | 2 | 2 | -2 | -4 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | ESE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | E 12 | SE 14 | ESE 13 | S 13 | S 9 | S 9 | S 12 | S 13 | S 13 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SSW 14 |
| kJ | 269 | 56 | 47 | 19 | 24 | 29 | 18 | 1604 | 421 | 380 | 520 | 609 | 402 | 256 | 188 | 143 | 72 | 30 | 15 | 218 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 15 | ESE 14 | E 10 | — | — | — | SE 13 | SE 12 | SE 11 | S 17 | S 16 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | SE 10 | SE 11 | E 13 | E 13 | SSW 14 | S 9 |
| kJ | 8 | 19 | 69 | — | — | — | 7 | 23 | 20 | 91 | 264 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 21 | 14 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 15 | SE 10 | ESE 14 | — | — | — | — | SE 12 | S 18 | SE 13 | SE 12 | E 9 | ESE 12 | — | E 15 | E 14 | E 13 | S 16 | SE 13 | E 12 |
| kJ | 9 | 25 | 19 | — | — | — | — | 38 | 6 | 7 | 23 | 6 | 14 | — | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 8 | S 7 | S 8 | S 10 | S 11 | S 11 | S 14 | — | — | — | NNW 4 | NW 6 | NNW 6 | NW 7 | NNW 4 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NW 5 | NW 5 |
| kJ | 406 | 339 | 1190 | 4551 | 8112 | 3925 | 3857 | — | — | — | 18 | 200 | 381 | 63 | 37 | 287 | 311 | 261 | 143 | 134 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 211 | 63 | 63 | 195 | 211 | 110 | 63 | 63 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 59 | 63 | 63 | 63 | 63 | 135 | 129 | 88 | 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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