Surf Forecasts:
Lyall Bay surf forecast from 3 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 5 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s period, S swell with onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 4 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 12s period, SSW swell with 9,107 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 5 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s 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 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 18s. 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 5.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 9AM. 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 Friday (Aug 07) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Wed 5th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Wed 5th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Tue 4th Aug) | 18ft (5.5m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Lyall Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Gonna keep it real for ya. We’ve got a pretty wild ride ahead for Lyall Bay over the next couple of weeks, but you’re gonna have to be patient to get the good stuff. The pattern starts with a thumping, but messy, south swell that’s too big and blown out for anything fun, then a window of clean, small waves opens up for a session, but after that, it’s a long, quiet stretch.
Let’s lay it out. The first decent chance doesn’t come until Thursday the 6th. The swell has dropped right back from the earlier big, windy days. Thursday morning shows a 5ft SSE swell with a 10-second period, but it’s cross-on, so a bit lumpy. The real standout of the whole forecast is Thursday afternoon. The wind will swing light offshore from the NNW, cleaning up that 4ft S swell (10 seconds). The energy is moderate (690), but the conditions will be clean. That’s your best bet for a fun, small wave session.
Friday the 7th looks promising at first glance with a 5ft S swell and a beautiful 16-second period, but the wind is a strong cross-offshore, making it tricky and messy despite the clean look. The energy is strong (1064), but the wind is just too much for a truly enjoyable paddle. If you’re an expert, you might find a few, but it’s not the one for most.
Saturday the 8th afternoon could be a secondary look. The swell drops to 4ft from the S (11 seconds) with moderate energy (399), but the wind goes light offshore from the NNW. It’ll be clean, but the swell is getting smaller. The water temp is sitting at 55°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.
Now, for the bad news. Once we hit Sunday the 9th, the surf goes to sleep. You’ll see a tiny 0.7ft SW groundswell with a long 15-second period on the 15th, but it’s basically flat. The energy is weak (54), and the wind is light, but there’s just no wave to push. From the 10th all the way through to the end of the forecast on the 18th, there’s nothing rideable. That’s a solid nine-day dry spell. For a spot like Lyall Bay, that’s a pretty normal blank run, so don’t be too gutted. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a long wait.
So, your call: Thursday afternoon the 6th is the clear standout. Get out there for a clean, small-wave session. The rest of it is a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Mon night. Very mild (max 14°C on Mon afternoon, min 4°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (near gales from the SSW on Tue morning, light winds from the WSW by Thu morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 12°C on Fri night, min 6°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NNW on Fri morning, light winds from the SSW by Sun morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | ||||||||||||||
PM | 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 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | S 11 | S 12 | S 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | S 16 | S 14 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 6 | SSE 10 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 447 | 1106 | 9107 | 7263 | 6816 | 4614 | 2798 | 891 | 416 | 333 | 316 | 696 | 746 | 657 | 474 | 389 | 339 | 494 | 356 | 132 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off | on | on | on |
High Tide | 8:39PM1.52m | 9:01AM1.53m | 9:29PM1.55m | 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 | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:05AM0.67m | 3:15PM0.66m | 3:50AM0.66m | 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 | ||||||||
 |  | |  |  | |  |  | | | |  | |  | |  |  | | | | |
 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — |
 | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — |
mm | — | 4 | — | 1 | 8 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 |
Feels °C | 8 | 4 | -6 | -6 | -7 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 14 | — | — | — | E 19 | S 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | S 16 | S 14 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | NNW 9 | NW 9 | SSE 10 |
| kJ | 447 | 1106 | — | — | — | 7 | 2798 | 891 | 416 | 322 | 316 | 696 | 746 | 657 | 474 | 389 | 339 | 29 | 12 | 132 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | SE 11 | — | — | — | — | SE 18 | SSW 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | S 9 | SE 12 | SE 12 | S 16 | NNW 8 | SSE 13 | E 13 | NNW 9 |
| kJ | 146 | 59 | — | — | — | — | 12 | 438 | 345 | 333 | 225 | 208 | 108 | 50 | 24 | 5 | 25 | 32 | 3 | 7 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 19 | NW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | SE 16 | SE 11 | SE 15 | S 13 | SSW 10 | SE 10 | — | — | S 16 | S 15 | S 15 | SSW 14 | S 13 |
| kJ | 68 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | 41 | 125 | 35 | 87 | 160 | 117 | — | — | 5 | 4 | 4 | 19 | 4 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 3 | S 6 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | S 11 | S 12 | — | — | — | — | NW 2 | NNW 4 | NW 5 | NW 6 | NW 5 | NW 8 | NW 4 | S 10 | S 6 | S 6 |
| kJ | 10 | 69 | 9107 | 7263 | 6816 | 4614 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 16 | 138 | 145 | 61 | 30 | 3 | 494 | 356 | 101 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 3 | 25 | 195 | 229 | 195 | 110 | 139 | 63 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 63 | 63 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 25 | 25 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Wellington | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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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