Surf Forecasts:
Lyall Bay surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 27 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 17s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 17s period, S swell with 2,642 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 25 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 14s period with SSW 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 Tuesday (Aug 25) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 14s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Lyall Bay in the next 16 days are 2.1m 17s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy 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 (Aug 28) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Tue 25th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Lyall Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Lyall Bay over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a mixed bag. The first real standout is gonna be Monday morning, the 24th of August. The ocean is clean, with a solid 7ft SSW groundswell ticking over at 13 seconds. That’s a proper long-period swell, so the wave shape will be there, but you’ll be waiting for the sets. The combined energy is pumping hard at 1492 (moderate to strong), and with a moderate offshore breeze from the NNW, the faces will be clean. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers—the size is pushing past 5ft, so it’s a bit hefty for the beginners. Keep an eye on the water temp, which is sitting at 52°, about 1° cooler than normal for this time of year—nothing too wild, just a standard chilly Wellington dip.
The real highlight, though, is Thursday morning, the 27th of August. This is the one to circle. We’re looking at a 6ft S swell with a very long period of 18 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, and the combined energy is a massive 2245 (strong). The wind is a light breeze from the NW, just cross-off, keeping things clean. The wave quality will be top-notch, but that long period means it’s a point-break-style wave—it’ll hold up well here at Lyall Bay, but don’t expect it to be a quick, crumbly beachie. It’s excellent for experienced surfers again. Take note: the swell is a little over 5ft, so it’s a step up from the beginner-friendly stuff.
Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th? Not much to shout about. Friday gets hammered by a strong offshore breeze that’s hard to paddle into, and by Saturday morning we get a glassy 4ft S swell, but it’s only 11 seconds and the energy is weak (319). It’s a small, clean window, but it’s not going to fire.
Then we hit a bit of a dry spell. From Sunday the 30th right through to Monday the 7th of September, it’s mostly small, weak, or blown out. The wind is either too strong or cross-off, and the swell sizes drop below 3ft most days. There’s a brief moment on Sunday the 6th of September in the afternoon—a 4ft SSW swell with a 15-second period, but the wind is onshore from the SSE, so it’s messy and marginal. Not worth getting too excited about.
The next serious event is Tuesday the 1st of September. The morning brings a massive 12ft S swell from the SSW direction, with a 13-second period. The combined energy hits 3662 (very strong). But here’s the catch—this is too big for Lyall Bay. That’s a big-wave day for experienced chargers only, and the wind is a fresh offshore from the NNW, so it’ll be a clean beast, but the size is over 8ft, so it’s strictly for those with the skills and the big-wave gear. The afternoon drops to a still-pumping 8ft, which is still a handful.
After that, the rest of the outlook is pretty grim. From Wednesday the 2nd of September through to Tuesday the 8th, it’s a long stretch of poor conditions. The swell is small, the wind is either onshore or strong cross-off, and the energy is weak. There’s no real surf to speak of—just a lot of blown-out, small waves. The gap from the 30th of August to the 1st of September is a few days of nothing, and then it’s a solid week of poor quality.
So, to wrap it up: the true standout is Thursday morning, the 27th of August. If you can get out for that long-period S swell with the light wind, you’ll be grinning. The Monday the 24th morning is also a good, solid session. The rest of the window is either too big, too small, or too windy. Keep the board waxed and the eyes on the sky for that Thursday.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Tue morning, min 10°C on Mon morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NW on Mon night, light winds from the S by Wed night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu afternoon, min 9°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu morning, near gales from the NNW by Fri afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 11 | S 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 17 | S 17 | SSW 15 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 7 | SSW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1509 | 1052 | 486 | 238 | 423 | 355 | 284 | 261 | 888 | 2642 | 1540 | 771 | 430 | 350 | 303 | 284 | 227 | 164 | 48 | 32 | 178 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:46PM1.56m | 2:09AM1.44m | 2:27PM1.54m | 2:54AM1.42m | 3:09PM1.52m | 3:39AM1.41m | 3:54PM1.51m | 4:26AM1.41m | 4:42PM1.51m | 5:15AM1.43m | 5:34PM1.51m | 6:06AM1.46m | 6:28PM1.52m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:05PM0.70m | 8:07AM0.73m | 8:46PM0.71m | 8:51AM0.72m | 9:30PM0.72m | 9:38AM0.71m | 10:20PM0.72m | 10:28AM0.70m | 11:15PM0.73m | 11:19AM0.69m | 00:10AM0.72m | 12:13PM0.68m | 1:01AM0.71m | ||||||||
6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | |
— | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 11 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 14 |
Feels °C | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 11 | S 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 17 | S 17 | SSW 15 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 6 | S 7 | SSW 13 |
1509 | 1052 | 486 | 238 | 423 | 355 | 284 | 261 | 888 | 2642 | 1540 | 771 | 430 | 350 | 303 | 284 | 227 | 164 | 38 | 32 | 178 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | SSW 14 | SE 14 | SE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | SE 13 | ESE 5 | ESE 6 | E 16 | SE 15 | SE 14 | ESE 13 | SE 13 | NW 8 | S 10 | NW 6 | SSE 9 |
18 | 19 | 20 | 160 | 8 | 8 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 7 | 17 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 18 | 26 | 15 | 48 | 9 | 16 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | N 15 | ESE 14 | — | — | — | E 11 | ESE 13 | — | SE 13 | E 16 | SE 16 | ESE 15 | SE 14 | NNW 9 | S 15 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SSE 10 | SE 12 |
— | — | 4 | 19 | — | — | — | 2 | 16 | — | 7 | 5 | 10 | 21 | 8 | 7 | 17 | 23 | 22 | 18 | 5 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 6 | NNW 4 | NW 5 | NW 6 | NW 5 | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | NW 5 | NW 5 | SE 5 | — | NNW 5 | NNW 6 | NNW 7 | NW 7 | NW 5 | NW 5 | SSW 4 | NW 4 | — | NW 5 |
12 | 34 | 59 | 206 | 61 | 28 | 35 | 99 | 126 | 60 | — | 86 | 209 | 505 | 216 | 59 | 25 | 13 | 8 | — | 179 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 54 | 63 | 77 | 64 | 0 | 0 | 63 | 63 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 54 | 108 | 38 | 54 | 61 | 28 | 0 | 54 | 3 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Wellington | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.











