Surf Forecasts:
Lyall Bay surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 12s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 1 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 12s period, SSW swell with 3,588 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 17s 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 27) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 3AM. 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 Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Lyall Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, it’s Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Lyall Bay over the next couple of weeks.
We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but things are going to fire up later on. The pattern starts with a clean, chest-high S groundswell pushing through Thursday afternoon, 27 August. It’s a bit of a tease though, because Friday and Saturday get blasted by strong northerly winds, making it near impossible to paddle into. That period from Friday morning through to Sunday afternoon is a write-off, with tiny, messy, or blown-out conditions. The consistent theme is mostly clean, but the wind is just too strong for decent surfing.
The real standout is Monday morning, 31 August. Get ready for a solid 8ft SSW swell, with a nice 12-second period, light NE winds, and clean conditions. The combined energy is pumping at 1949 (moderate to strong). That’s expert territory – too big for beginners, but for those with the skills, it’s going to be absolutely firing. The crowd factor is “sometimes” here, so you might not have it all to yourself, but you’ll get your share.
Tuesday morning, 1 September, is another cracker: 8ft of S swell, 12 seconds, and clean offshore N winds at 12 mph. Combined energy of 1989 (moderate to strong). Another day for experienced surfers only. The wind stays offshore, so expect some beautiful, groomed faces.
After that, the wind swings back to a strong NW pattern, and the swell drops away. From Wednesday, 2 September, all the way through to the end of the forecast on 11 September, it’s a long stretch of poor, small, or blown-out surf. The waves get tiny, barely 1ft to 2ft, and the wind is howling. There’s a brief spike on Thursday afternoon, 10 September, with a 6ft SSW swell, but it’s only 6 seconds period and onshore, so it’s not worth a paddle. The rest is mostly flat or just too messy.
Don’t bother with the second week – it’s a long gap of nothing. The only two windows to get excited about are Monday morning, 31 August, and Tuesday morning, 1 September. Those are the ones.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Wed night, min 9°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the ENE on Thu morning, near gales from the NNW by Fri afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Sun night. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun afternoon, min 8°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NW on Sun afternoon, calm by Mon night). | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 17 | S 17 | S 17 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 9 | S 12 | S 11 | S 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 763 | 1357 | 1859 | 862 | 423 | 282 | 203 | 195 | 146 | 98 | 32 | 178 | 366 | 1944 | 1272 | 1146 | 1989 | 1256 | 1013 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off |
High Tide | 3:39AM1.41m | 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 | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:30PM0.72m | 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 | ||||||
 |  |  |  |  | |  | | | |  | |  | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — |
mm | — | 1 | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 |
Feels °C | 7 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 17 | S 17 | S 17 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | SSW 9 | SSW 13 | S 7 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 12 |
| kJ | 763 | 1357 | 1859 | 862 | 423 | 282 | 203 | 195 | 146 | 98 | 28 | 178 | 196 | 1944 | 1272 | 692 | 1989 | 1256 | 1013 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 6 | SSE 6 | SE 13 | E 5 | — | SE 15 | SE 14 | ESE 13 | SE 13 | NW 8 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSW 14 | SE 11 | SE 11 | NW 7 | — | — | S 16 |
| kJ | 55 | 127 | 6 | 25 | — | 8 | 8 | 18 | 26 | 28 | 32 | 17 | 366 | 5 | 5 | 11 | — | — | 84 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 13 | SE 13 | — | SE 12 | SE 10 | ESE 15 | SE 14 | S 15 | S 15 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | NW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 17 | 7 | — | 6 | 4 | 21 | 8 | 4 | 17 | 23 | 22 | 6 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 4 | SSE 6 | E 5 | N 3 | NNW 6 | NNW 7 | NW 6 | NW 5 | NNW 6 | NW 7 | NW 4 | NW 6 | — | — | NW 6 | S 9 | — | NNW 4 | NNW 4 |
| kJ | 9 | 114 | 41 | 7 | 168 | 633 | 275 | 70 | 195 | 12 | 16 | 209 | — | — | 268 | 1146 | — | 12 | 16 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 115 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 59 | 126 | 63 | 38 | 54 | 0 | 3 | 77 | 25 | 0 | 59 | 3 | 0 | 38 | 38 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Wellington | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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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