Lyall Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 41.33° S 174.80° E

Lyall Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 pm 08 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Lyall Bay sea temperature is
12.1° C
0.0° 

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 8 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 9 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 10s period, S swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 16 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 9s period, S swell with 2,282 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 9 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 10s 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 Sunday (Aug 09) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 15s. 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 9s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 16) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 09) at 6PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 3AM (Sun 9th Aug)4ft (1.2m) 10s
Best Surf 3AM (Sun 9th Aug)4ft (1.2m) 10s
Most Powerful 6AM (Sun 16th Aug)13ft (4.0m) 9s

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


The Lowdown

Right, listen up. It’s Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Lyall Bay for the next couple of weeks, and honestly, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. There’s a patch of clean, rideable waves early on, but then the wind turns onshore and it gets messy for a solid stretch. The water temp is sitting at 54°F, which is pretty much spot on average for this time of year, so a good 4/3 will do ya.

To start, the best bet is clear: get out there early on Sunday, the 9th. The wind is a gentle offshore breeze from the north, and we’re looking at a clean 3ft of south swell rolling in. The energy is moderate (330), and it’s shaping up to be a proper little session. It’s not huge, but it’ll be clean and fun. Lyall Bay (Wellington) is your spot.

After that, the surf drops right off. Monday the 10th turns onshore with a southerly wind and the swell gets weaker and more confused. That poor spell runs through Thursday the 13th. There’s a tiny bump on Wednesday morning the 12th, but at 3ft and with a short 7-second period, it’s just not worth suiting up for anything but a grovel.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. On Saturday the 15th, a bigger south swell starts to show its face, but the wind is all over it. It’s onshore and the surf quality is going to be poor. That push of energy builds into Sunday the 16th, with the swell hitting 8ft and the energy jumping right up to 1171. But again, the wind is cross-offshore and fresh, so it’s going to be a bit of a mess.

The real standout for the second week is Monday the 17th. The wind swings back offshore, light and clean from the north. We’ve got a solid 5ft of south swell with a decent 10-second period. The energy is strong (411). This looks like the best combination of size and clean conditions in the whole window. It’s a 2/5 rating but that's more about the lack of consistency. It’s a Monday, so if you can, call in sick.

But don’t get too excited, because from Tuesday the 18th onwards, it’s a different story. A strong southwesterly flow kicks in, with winds getting up to near gale force. The swell stays big, but it’s going to be blown out and onshore. By the 19th, the energy is huge, reading 1615, with 8ft of swell, but that south-southwest wind is just going to wreck it. This poor, blown-out run looks set to continue right through the following week. There's more big swell on the 21st with a very long 14-second period, but it's all for nothing with that southerly wind hammering it onshore. It’s a long stretch of messy, unrideable surf, and honestly, it looks way more interesting for the kite-surfers than us paddle surfers.

So, to sum it up: The window starts with one good, clean morning on Sunday the 9th. Then a long flat spell, followed by another decent, clean day on Monday the 17th. After that, it’s a battle against wind for a whole week. The long-range stuff looks promising in size, but it's a lottery on the wind. Keep your eyes on the forecast, but don't hold your breath.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Sun afternoon, min 9°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NNW on Sun afternoon, light winds from the SE by Tue afternoon).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Thu night. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu morning, min 9°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Sunday
9
Monday
10
Tuesday
11
Wednesday
12
Thursday
13
Friday
14
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
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)
1.2
S
10
1
S
10
1
S
10
0.8
SSE
10
0.9
SSE
10
0.8
SSE
9
2.1
S
7
1.6
S
8
1.4
SSE
8
1.1
SE
8
1
SE
9
0.8
SE
8
0.6
ESE
7
0.5
ESE
9
0.3
SE
11
0.4
SE
10
0.5
ESE
8
0.5
ESE
8
0.5
ESE
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
296
200
200
136
135
94
465
343
238
129
149
82
37
44
25
33
38
39
39
Wind (km/h)
20
N
15
NNE
35
NNW
35
NW
15
S
25
S
30
S
15
S
10
SE
10
NE
20
N
20
NNW
15
N
15
NNE
10
NNE
15
NE
10
NE
10
NNW
10
S
Wind State
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
on
on
on
on
cross-on
cross-off
off
off
off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
on
High Tide
00:46AM1.62m
1:12PM1.76m
1:42AM1.62m
2:07PM1.78m
2:41AM1.61m
3:04PM1.79m
3:41AM1.60m
4:02PM1.77m
4:39AM1.60m
5:01PM1.75m
5:37AM1.60m
6:00PM1.72m
Low Tide
6:57AM0.54m
7:30PM0.52m
7:49AM0.51m
8:24PM0.50m
8:45AM0.49m
9:22PM0.50m
9:45AM0.47m
10:24PM0.51m
10:46AM0.45m
11:28PM0.53m
11:45AM0.45m
00:28AM0.54m
light rain
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
light rain
heavy rain
light rain
part cloud
light rain
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:18
7:18
7:16
7:16
7:13
7:13
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:32
5:34
5:35
5:36
5:37
5:37
 mm
1
6
1
11
2
3
Temp °C
12
12
13
12
11
11
10
10
11
9
12
12
12
14
13
13
12
13
12
Feels °C
7
6
6
5
7
5
3
7
9
5
7
7
9
11
11
11
10
12
11
  • 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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