Lyall Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 41.33° S 174.80° E

Lyall Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 27 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Lyall Bay sea temperature is
12.2°C
0.3° 

Lyall Bay surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Lyall Bay surf forecast from 27 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 31 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s period, SSW swell with cross-shore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 1 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 12s period, S swell with 4,501 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 29 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 11s 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 Saturday (Aug 29) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 13s. 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 4.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 01) 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 3.0m 7s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 6PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 3PM (Sat 29th Aug)2.5ft (0.8m) 11s
Best Surf 3AM (Mon 31st Aug)10ft (3.0m) 8s
Most Powerful 9AM (Tue 1st Sep)13ft (4.0m) 12s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Lyall Bay over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright mate, Rusty here.

First up, we're looking at Lyall Bay. The water's sitting at 54°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The next few days are a bit of a mixed bag, but there's a couple of windows that'll get the stoke up. The real standout is looking like Thursday the 27th. The afternoon session is the pick of the early week. You've got a solid 6ft south swell with a long 17-second period, packing some serious energy (2070). That's proper groundswell. The wind is a light cross-off, keeping things clean. This is the one to circle if you're an experienced surfer.

Thursday morning is smaller at 5ft, same long period, but a cross-shore breeze will put a slight chop on it. It's surfable, but not as good as the arvo.

Now, Friday the 28th through to Sunday the 30th is a write-off. Strong offshore winds, particularly a near gale on Friday, are making it near impossible to paddle into anything. The swell drops right off too, down to 3ft. It's a frustrating stretch of small, blown-out surf.

Monday the 31st morning is a tease. The swell jumps up to 10ft from the SSW with 12-second period and massive energy (2518). The wind is favourable, but that's too much size for Lyall Bay. It's an expert-only zone, and even then, it's going to be a washing machine. The afternoon gets even windier, so leave it.

Tuesday the 1st of September is another one for the big-wave crew only. The morning is glassy, but the swell is a huge 13ft from the south with 12-second period and absolutely pumping energy (4501). That's a monster. The afternoon is a bit smaller at 10ft, but still very heavy and with a fresh offshore. Not for the faint-hearted.

From Wednesday the 2nd onwards, the swell steadily drops. The energy levels come right down, mostly under 1000, and the wind is relentless from the northwest. There's a long stretch of small, wind-affected surf from the 2nd of September right through to the 11th. The swell is small, the period is short, and the wind is nuking. Even the occasional clean day with a light breeze, like the 8th of September, has almost no swell to work with. It's a blank run of poor conditions.

If you're a kite surfer, the strong, consistent cross-off winds from the 2nd to the 11th might be interesting, but for a paddle surfer, it's a waiting game. The only real highlights are the Thursday afternoon on the 27th of August, and a very brief window for experts on the morning of the 31st of August.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri afternoon, min 9°C on Thu morning). Winds decreasing (near gales from the NNW on Fri afternoon, light winds from the NNW by Sat night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun afternoon, min 8°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (near gales from the NW on Mon afternoon, calm by Tue morning).

Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
Tuesday
1
Wednesday
2
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
4
2
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
1
!
0
0
!
!
1
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.5
S
17
1.9
S
17
1.6
S
13
1.2
S
12
1
S
12
0.9
S
11
0.9
S
11
0.8
S
11
0.6
S
10
0.8
SSW
13
0.8
SSW
12
2.5
SSW
7
3
SSW
12
2.3
SSW
12
1.8
SSW
13
4
S
12
3
S
12
2
S
12
1.7
S
12
1.5
S
11
1.1
S
11
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1357
2051
862
423
282
206
195
149
75
189
172
685
2518
1413
1127
4501
2831
1098
760
546
284
Wind (km/h)
15
ESE
10
NE
25
N
45
N
50
NNW
45
NNW
40
NNW
25
NNW
15
N
15
NNW
40
WNW
15
SE
20
NW
55
NW
35
S
5
SE
30
NNW
35
NNW
45
NNW
55
NW
55
NW
Wind State
cross
cross-off
off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
on
glassy
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
3:54PM1.51m
4:26AM1.41m
4:42PM1.51m
5:15AM1.43m
5:34PM1.51m
6:06AM1.46m
6:28PM1.52m
6:57AM1.50m
7:24PM1.54m
7:48AM1.56m
8:18PM1.56m
8:38AM1.62m
9:10PM1.59m
Low Tide
9:38AM0.71m
10:20PM0.72m
10:28AM0.70m
11:15PM0.73m
11:19AM0.69m
00:10AM0.72m
12:13PM0.68m
1:01AM0.71m
1:08PM0.67m
1:50AM0.69m
2:06PM0.65m
2:39AM0.67m
3:02PM0.62m
light rain
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part cloud
cloud
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
cloud
part cloud
clear
cloud
rain showers
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
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<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:54
6:52
6:50
6:48
6:48
6:46
6:43
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:51
5:52
5:52
5:53
5:54
5:55
5:57
 mm
1
1
1
2
Temp °C
9
12
13
13
14
13
12
12
11
14
15
12
12
12
13
10
11
13
12
13
14
Feels °C
5
9
5
4
5
4
5
7
6
7
7
8
3
1
7
5
4
5
3
2
1
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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