Lyall Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 41.33° S 174.80° E

Lyall Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 pm 18 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Lyall Bay sea temperature is
12.4° C
0.4° 

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 18 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, S swell with onshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 11s period, S swell with 5,985 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s 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 Wednesday (Aug 19) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 13s. The wind is predicted to be onshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Lyall Bay in the next 16 days are 5.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.3m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 9AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 3PM (Wed 19th Aug)10ft (3.0m) 14s
Best Surf 3PM (Wed 19th Aug)10ft (3.0m) 14s
Most Powerful 3AM (Wed 19th Aug)16ft (5.0m) 11s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what Lyall Bay has in store for us over the coming weeks.

Well, I gotta be straight with you – this 16-day run starts off with a bit of a dud and stays pretty grim for a long stretch. The first recommendation we get isn't until Thursday the 20th, so you're staring at a few days of washing your board shorts before that.

Now, the highlight of the whole period, and it's the only real standout, lands on Thursday morning the 22nd. Yeah, there's a gap of quiet days after that too, but trust me, this one's worth making a plan for. The water's sitting at a pretty average 54° for the time of year, nothing unusual about it.

Thursday Morning – August 20th (Lyall Bay)

Alright, this is the one. We get a clean 5 ft south swell rolling in with a solid 12-second period. That's a groundswell, so it'll have some proper energy behind it (743), but it's not going to dump like a freight train. The wind is dead glassy from the west, absolutely nothing stirring it up. Expect very good surf conditions – this is a morning to get out there before anything else changes. It's a beginner-friendly size, so even the crew finding their feet can have a crack. The swell is coming from the south, which is the optimum direction for Lyall Bay, so it'll set up nicely.

The Rest of the Forecast:

After that Thursday morning, it's mostly a write-off. Thursday afternoon drops to a short-period 5 ft south-swell but it's glassy calm at 0 wind, so you might squeeze a few fun ones in but it's not the same quality. Friday the 21st sees a strong cross-offshore wind pick up, making things marginal, and from Saturday the 22nd onwards it's a week of strong winds and messy, poor conditions. Swell sizes drop to nothing, and the energy (29-45) is virtually non-existent. There's a small window on Monday the 24th with a 5 ft SSW swell but it's blown out again.

Further out, late in the month and into September, there's a few flickers. Wednesday morning, September 2nd, shows some promise with a 5 ft south-swell and a gentle offshore wind, getting clean. Then by Wednesday afternoon, things get interesting for the experienced crew: a 7 ft south-swell with a 13-second period and moderate offshore wind. The combined energy jumps to 1407, so there's plenty of power, but at 7 ft it's pushing the size limit for a fun paddle. It's marked as excellent for experienced surfers though, so keep an eye on that one if you've got the skills.

So there you have it. For the next 16 days, the big winner is Thursday the 20th. Don't sleep on it.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Some drizzle, heaviest during Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 11°C on Thu night, min 8°C on Tue afternoon). Winds decreasing (near gales from the SSW on Tue afternoon, calm by Thu afternoon).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Some drizzle, heaviest during Sat night. Very mild (max 14°C on Mon morning, min 10°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (near gales from the NNW on Fri night, fresh winds from the NW by Mon morning).

Tue
18
Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
!
2
3
2
3
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
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)
4.5
S
10
5.5
S
11
4
S
11
3
S
14
2
S
13
1.6
S
12
1.5
S
8
1.5
S
12
1.4
S
13
1.2
S
12
1
S
11
0.9
S
11
0.8
S
11
0.6
S
10
0.4
S
9
0.3
S
9
0.8
S
9
1.6
SSW
13
0.9
SSW
10
0.9
SSW
15
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
4189
7794
3546
3613
1355
690
313
628
663
453
260
188
146
69
26
15
101
750
154
387
Wind (km/h)
50
S
50
S
30
SSE
20
S
10
SSW
5
W
0
N
10
NE
25
NNW
40
NNW
50
NNW
55
NNW
45
NW
50
NW
40
WNW
40
NW
40
NW
35
NW
45
NW
45
NNW
Wind State
on
on
on
on
cross-on
glassy
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
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
1:46PM1.56m
2:09AM1.44m
Low Tide
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
7:27AM0.73m
8:05PM0.70m
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
light rain
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
cloud
rain showers
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:05
7:05
7:03
7:01
7:00
6:58
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:42
5:43
5:44
5:45
5:45
5:46
5:47
 mm
1
1
Temp °C
9
8
8
9
10
10
10
11
11
12
11
12
13
13
13
13
13
14
13
13
Feels °C
-2
-3
0
5
6
8
9
9
6
4
2
2
4
4
4
4
6
6
5
5
  • 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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