
Surf Forecasts:
Lyall Bay surf forecast from 6 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 7 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 17s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 7 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 14s period, S swell with 1,371 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 6 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 10s 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 06) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 10s. 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 1.9m 14s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 07) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.0m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 13) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Thu 6th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Fri 7th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Lyall Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Lyall Bay over the next couple of weeks.
Truth be told, the surf window is pretty narrow. There’s a tidy little run starting Thursday afternoon, but after that we’re looking at a long, dry spell with nothing worth paddling out for until the tail end of the second week. The real standout window is Thursday afternoon through Friday morning. That’s where you want to be.
Thursday afternoon swings in a clean 5ft swell from the SSE, with a period of 10 seconds and a moderate wave energy (817). The wind is light offshore from the NNW, glassy conditions – that’s about as good as it gets for a quick session. Water temp is sitting at 55°, which is about 1° warmer than usual for this time of year, so nothing wild, just a touch on the comfortable side.
Friday morning picks up a bit more size, 5ft from the S, but here’s the kicker – the period jumps to 15 seconds, which is a proper long-period groundswell, and the combined energy rockets up to 1452. That’s a powerful, lined-up swell. The wind is a fresh NNW cross-offshore at 22 mph, so it’ll be clean but with some texture. This is a strong, punchy swell – over 5ft, so it’s not for the beginners, and with that long period, the sets will be spaced out, making it easier to get outside. Just be aware, Lyall Bay is a fairly exposed beach setup, so that long-period groundswell can sometimes make the waves break a bit too straight. Still, for the experienced crew, Friday morning is the pick of the whole forecast.
After that, it drops off quickly. Friday afternoon sees the wind pick up to 25 mph, and the surf quality goes south. From Saturday morning onward, the swell fades, and while there are a few small, clean windows with offshore winds, the waves are just too small and weak to get excited about – mostly under 3ft with energy readings under 300. By Sunday and Monday, it’s tiny and ordinary.
Then we hit a big gap. From about Tuesday the 13th right through to Wednesday the 21st of August, there’s nothing worth chasing. The swell drops to almost nothing, and when it does try to rebuild around the 18th and 19th, it’s accompanied by strong onshore winds from the S, making for messy, blown-out conditions. The swell might get up to 8ft, but with onshore winds at 28 mph, that’s a hard pass for paddle surfing – honestly, that setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than anything else.
The very end of the window, Friday the 21st of August, shows a tiny glimmer of hope with a 2ft S swell and light offshore winds, but it’s barely surfable.
So, to wrap it up: Thursday afternoon and Friday morning are the only real standouts. Get on it early, because after that, Lyall Bay goes quiet for a long stretch.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 12°C on Fri night, min 6°C on Thu morning). Winds increasing (calm on Thu morning, strong winds from the NNW by Fri morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 26mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Tue afternoon, min 9°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the N on Sun morning, light winds from the N by Mon afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | S 15 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SE 7 | SE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
500 | 428 | 322 | 1070 | 1127 | 711 | 474 | 442 | 296 | 200 | 163 | 108 | 100 | 88 | 92 | 252 | 170 | 78 | 50 | 41 | 78 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross | cross-off | cross | off | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:35AM1.64m | 11:05PM1.60m | 11:25AM1.69m | 11:54PM1.62m | 12:17PM1.73m | 00:46AM1.62m | 1:12PM1.76m | 1:42AM1.62m | 2:07PM1.78m | 2:41AM1.61m | 3:04PM1.79m | 3:41AM1.60m | 4:02PM1.77m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:58PM0.61m | 5:22AM0.60m | 5:48PM0.58m | 6:09AM0.57m | 6:39PM0.54m | 6:57AM0.54m | 7:30PM0.52m | 7:49AM0.51m | 8:24PM0.50m | 8:45AM0.49m | 9:22PM0.50m | 9:45AM0.47m | 10:24PM0.51m | ||||||||
7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | |
— | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 18 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 7 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 13 |
Feels °C | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | S 15 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SE 7 | SE 8 |
500 | 428 | 322 | 1070 | 1127 | 711 | 474 | 442 | 296 | 200 | 163 | 108 | 100 | 88 | 82 | 252 | 170 | 78 | 50 | 41 | 78 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SE 10 | SE 12 | SE 11 | S 15 | SE 11 | S 18 | S 14 | E 13 | S 16 | NW 9 | NW 9 | SE 12 | NNW 9 | ESE 5 | SE 6 | S 11 | SE 10 | SE 13 |
281 | 333 | 230 | 196 | 175 | 60 | 109 | 19 | 6 | 93 | 3 | 5 | 20 | 21 | 92 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 15 | 7 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 15 | SE 15 | SE 12 | S 10 | — | — | SE 12 | S 16 | — | — | SSE 13 | E 13 | SSW 15 | SE 14 | NNW 9 | SSW 15 | NNW 8 | S 12 | NNW 6 | S 11 | S 15 |
76 | 56 | 184 | 186 | — | — | 37 | 5 | — | — | 32 | 3 | 23 | 31 | 16 | 22 | 7 | 11 | 4 | 9 | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NNW 3 | NW 4 | NW 5 | NW 5 | NW 6 | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | NNW 6 | NNW 5 | NW 5 | NW 5 | — | — | ESE 3 | — | — | — | NNW 4 | NNW 5 |
— | — | 4 | 40 | 94 | 98 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 108 | 113 | 98 | 18 | — | — | 7 | — | — | — | 13 | 52 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 59 | 63 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 38 | 38 | 59 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 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.











