Lyall Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 41.33° S 174.80° E

Lyall Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 05 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Lyall Bay sea temperature is
12.6° C
0.5° 

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 5 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 5 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 11s period, S swell with onshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 5 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 11s period, S swell with 1,938 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 5 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 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 Wednesday (Aug 05) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 17s. 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 3.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 09) at 3PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 9PM (Wed 5th Aug)10ft (3.0m) 11s
Best Surf 9PM (Wed 5th Aug)10ft (3.0m) 11s
Most Powerful 9PM (Wed 5th Aug)10ft (3.0m) 11s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Lyall Bay over the next couple of weeks.

Okay, first things first – the next few days are pretty grim, I gotta be honest. We’ve got a big gap of poor conditions right at the start. Wednesday and Thursday morning are a write-off with strong onshore winds and messy, blown-out surf. The water temperature is sitting at 55°F, which is just about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first real glimmer of hope comes through on Thursday the 6th. Thursday morning we’re looking at clean conditions with glassy, light wind from the WSW, and a 6ft swell from the SSE, with a moderate 10-second period. The combined energy is moderate at 919, so there’s some push behind it. By Thursday afternoon, the wind swings light offshore from the NNW, and the swell drops a touch to 5ft but it’s clean and lined up. This is the standout window for the first week – it’s not huge, but it’s rideable and will be fun on a longboard or a fish.

After that, Friday through to the middle of next week is a mixed bag of onshore winds, strong breezes, and dropping swell. From Friday the 7th through to Sunday the 10th, the wind is mostly cross-off or fresh offshore, but the swell is inconsistent and dropping. The combined energy drops from 1319 down to 126, so it’s weakening fast. There’s a brief window on Tuesday the 11th with a moderate offshore breeze and a 3ft swell from the SSE, but it’s pretty ordinary – more of a cruise than a session to write home about.

Then we hit a real blank spell from about Wednesday the 12th through to Sunday the 16th. The swell is tiny – 2ft down to 1.0ft – and the wind is mostly onshore or strong offshore. The combined energy is in the double digits or low triple digits, which is weak. The period is short too, 8 seconds or less, so it’s just not gonna hold up. This is a dead stretch.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. On Monday the 17th of August, the forecast shows a massive pulse of swell hitting – 18ft to 20ft from the south with a 12-second period. The combined energy is through the roof at 8300 to 10192 – that’s strong to very strong wave energy. The wind is offshore and light, so conditions will be clean. But I gotta be straight with you – this is way too big for Lyall Bay. It’s over 8ft, so it’s for experts only, and even then, the beach break setup is gonna be a churning, heavy mess. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. A south swell that size will break straight and fast, and paddling out will be a mission.

Tuesday the 18th sees a drop back to 12ft to 10ft, still too big for most, but the wind is glassy and light in the morning, so if you’re a seasoned charger and know the rip, you might find a couple. Again, the combined energy is 2816 to 2085 – still strong.

Finally, Wednesday the 19th afternoon and Thursday the 20th bring us back to more manageable sizes. Wednesday afternoon sees a 6ft SSE swell with a 11-second period, light cross-off wind, and clean conditions. The combined energy is 784 – moderate, but it’ll be a good session. Thursday the 20th has a 5ft SE swell in the morning with glassy conditions, and it’s looking good for a solid session. The afternoon holds 4ft with a moderate offshore wind.

So, the real standout for the whole period is Thursday the 6th – that morning glass-off with a clean 6ft SSE swell. If you can get out, that’s your best bet. The second standout is the Thursday the 20th morning with the glassy conditions and 5ft swell. Everything else is either too big, too small, too windy, or just plain flat.

Stay safe out there, and don’t even think about that 20ft day unless you’ve got a death wish.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Wed morning. Very mild (max 12°C on Fri night, min 5°C on Wed morning). Winds increasing (calm on Thu morning, strong winds from the NNW by Fri morning).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Very mild (max 12°C on Sat morning, min 10°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NNE on Sun morning, light winds from the NW by Sun night).

Wednesday
5
Thursday
6
Friday
7
Saturday
8
Sunday
9
Monday
10
Tuesday
11
AM
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
1
3
3
3
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
1
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
S
12
3.5
S
12
2.5
S
11
1.7
SSE
10
1.4
SE
10
1.2
SE
10
1.5
S
15
1.7
S
13
1.5
S
12
1.5
S
11
1.3
S
11
1.2
S
10
1.1
SSE
10
0.8
SSE
10
0.7
SSE
12
0.8
SSE
10
0.8
SSE
10
1
S
9
0.6
SE
12
1
SSE
11
0.8
SSE
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
4523
2923
1625
562
428
322
953
1006
635
544
382
296
250
128
140
131
105
157
106
226
116
Wind (km/h)
40
SSW
25
S
15
SSW
5
WSW
10
NNW
20
N
35
NNW
40
NW
40
NNW
25
NW
30
NNW
30
N
30
NNE
40
NNW
15
NW
10
NW
15
NNW
10
NW
15
NNE
20
NNW
30
N
Wind State
on
on
on
glassy
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
off
High Tide
9:47AM1.59m
10:17PM1.57m
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
Low Tide
4:07PM0.64m
4:36AM0.63m
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
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
light rain
part cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
light rain
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:24
7:22
7:22
7:20
7:18
7:18
7:16
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:29
5:30
5:30
5:31
5:32
5:34
5:35
 mm
2
1
1
1
Temp °C
7
7
7
7
8
8
10
10
12
12
12
11
12
12
12
11
12
12
14
14
14
Feels °C
-1
0
2
4
5
3
1
1
7
7
6
5
3
4
7
8
9
9
11
11
10
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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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