Lyall Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 41.33° S 174.80° E

Lyall Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 pm 09 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Lyall Bay sea temperature is
13.7°C
1.7° 

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 9 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 12s period, SSW swell with onshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 12 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 12s period, SSW swell with 4,151 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 11 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 7s 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 Friday (Sep 11) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 18s. 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 3.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 12) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 7s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 6AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6AM (Fri 11th Sep)4.5ft (1.4m) 7s
Best Surf12PM (Sat 12th Sep)11ft (3.5m) 12s
Most Powerful12PM (Sat 12th Sep)11ft (3.5m) 12s

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 the cards for Lyall Bay over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, mate, it’s a bit of a mixed bag to start with. The first few days are pretty grim, with poor conditions and not much to get excited about. We’ve got a long wait before anything really good shows up.

The first real chance of a decent wave isn’t until Sunday the 13th of September. That morning, the stars nearly align. The swell is a solid 7 ft from the S, with a period of 13 seconds – that’s some proper groundswell energy pushing in (1499). The wind is glassy, completely off the water, so it’s going to be as clean as it gets. This is definitely the standout of the whole forecast period, but it’s a serious paddle. Over 8 ft and it’s experts only, so this 7 ft is right on the edge for beginners. It’s a big, powerful wave for those who can handle it. The water temp is sitting at 57°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.

After that, the tail end of the week and into the next looks like the most consistent run. The morning of Monday the 14th has a nice 5 ft S swell (710) with a moderate offshore breeze from the NNW, making for clean, fun waves. The afternoon drops a touch to 5 ft (483) with gentler offshore winds – a good, long session on the cards.

The pattern then gets messy again. We get a few days of strong offshore winds, which clean things up, but the swell gets small and the wind is howling, making it hard to paddle into anything. The period on the 15th and 16th is mixed, with some short-period junk in there.

The second week looks less promising overall. There’s a few mornings with tiny, clean waves but nothing with any real punch. The 19th of September sees a 10 ft SSW swell (896) hit, but it’s short-period (7 seconds) and the wind is offshore, which is a bit of a wild card. That size is strictly for the experienced crew, and the short period means it’ll be a bit walled-up and messy.

From the 20th onwards, it’s a lot of marginal or poor surf. The 23rd has a glassy morning with a tiny 1 ft, and the 24th morning has a 7 ft S swell (389) but with a short period and cross-offshore winds that might clean it up a bit. It’s not a write-off, but it’s far from the standout Sunday.

So, to sum it up: if you’re an experienced surfer, keep your eyes on Sunday the 13th of September. That’s your best bet. The Monday and Tuesday after that are good for a solid session, but the rest of the window is mostly a waiting game. The break is inconsistent and a bit of a fickle spot, so a blank run like this isn’t unusual. Stay tuned.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 12°C on Wed afternoon, min 7°C on Thu afternoon). Winds decreasing (near gales from the NNW on Wed night, calm by Thu night).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Mon afternoon, min 10°C on Sat afternoon). Winds increasing (calm on Sat afternoon, strong winds from the N by Tue morning).

Wed
9
Thursday
10
Friday
11
Saturday
12
Sunday
13
Monday
14
Tuesday
15
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
0
0
1
1
1
0
!
!
4
0
3
3
2
2
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)
0.5
E
8
0.4
ESE
8
0.2
SSW
14
1.8
SSW
6
2
S
7
0.6
SSW
17
0.6
SSW
17
0.6
SSW
13
1.3
SSW
15
3.5
S
12
3
S
13
2.1
S
13
1.9
S
13
2
S
12
1.6
S
12
1.4
S
11
1.2
S
10
1
S
10
0.9
S
10
0.6
S
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
34
22
18
209
416
237
229
129
706
3093
2640
1491
1226
1218
710
483
296
190
151
119
Wind (km/h)
30
NNW
50
NNW
35
NW
40
S
30
S
30
NNW
30
N
5
WSW
20
SE
10
SE
15
NNW
5
NW
20
SSE
10
NNE
25
NNW
15
NNW
25
NNE
35
N
40
NNW
50
NW
Wind State
off
cross-off
cross-off
on
on
off
off
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
glassy
on
cross-off
off
off
off
off
off
cross-off
High Tide
3:22AM1.57m
3:46PM1.70m
4:19AM1.57m
4:43PM1.67m
5:15AM1.59m
5:39PM1.64m
6:10AM1.60m
6:35PM1.62m
7:04AM1.62m
7:30PM1.60m
7:56AM1.64m
8:22PM1.59m
Low Tide
9:03PM0.51m
9:29AM0.47m
10:02PM0.55m
10:29AM0.49m
11:04PM0.59m
11:28AM0.51m
00:02AM0.62m
12:25PM0.55m
00:56AM0.64m
1:21PM0.59m
1:46AM0.67m
2:16PM0.63m
2:35AM0.69m
clear
part cloud
cloud
mod rain
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:31
6:28
6:28
6:26
6:24
6:22
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:02
6:04
6:05
6:06
6:07
6:07
6:08
 mm
9
1
Temp °C
12
12
12
8
9
12
12
12
11
11
10
12
12
11
13
14
11
13
14
13
Feels °C
6
3
5
-1
1
3
5
8
8
8
7
8
7
5
9
11
7
5
6
3
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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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