Surf Forecasts:
Lyall Bay surf forecast from 4 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 11 Sep, 3PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 12s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 8 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s period, S swell with 989 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 9 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 8s 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 (Sep 09) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 8s period. 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 3.0m 8s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) 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 2.5m 7s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 06) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12PM (Wed 9th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 3PM (Fri 11th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 9PM (Tue 8th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Lyall Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here. Look, I've got to be straight with you – this Lyall Bay outlook is a bit of a mixed bag. We're looking at a 16-day window, but the first proper window of surf that's worth paddling out for doesn't show up until Friday the 11th of September. There's a few days of nothing much before that with some wild wind and messy conditions.
The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual to report there.
Friday the 11th of September afternoon is the first real highlight. The swell is a modest 4 ft from the SSW with a nice 12-second period, which gives it some decent energy (468 combined energy). What's got me excited is the gentle NNW wind – it's cross-offshore, keeping the surface clean. It's not a big day, but it's surfable and the conditions are right. Lyall Bay is a fairly exposed beach break, and with the SSW swell direction, it'll pick it up. It's an inconsistent spot, so you need to be patient, and crowds are possible.
Then we jump to Wednesday the 16th of September. This is the standout. The morning is looking excellent with a solid 8 ft S swell at 11 seconds, pushing a strong 1361 combined energy. The wind is NNE at 12 mph, blowing offshore, so the waves will be clean and well-shaped. This is for experienced surfers – 8 ft is getting into the big stuff. The afternoon cleans up further with a gentle NNW offshore breeze and a 7 ft S swell at 12 seconds. This is the best of the bunch.
Thursday the 17th of September morning is a bit of a tease. The swell is predicted to be a massive 13 ft from the south, but it's just too big for Lyall Bay. The forecast says it's too big for the break, so unless you're a pro looking for a tow-in, give it a miss.
The following Sunday the 20th of September morning has a similar story – an 12 ft S swell with a very long 14-second period and a gentle offshore wind. The energy is huge (4557), but again, it's simply too big for this spot.
All up, the best bet is Wednesday the 16th of September. Keep your eyes on that forecast, but as always, long-range calls can change.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 59mm), heaviest during Sun night. Very mild (max 14°C on Sun morning, min 9°C on Mon morning). Winds increasing (moderate winds from the NW on Fri night, near gales from the NNW by Sun afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 36mm), heaviest during Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 12°C on Wed night, min 7°C on Thu afternoon). Winds increasing (calm on Wed morning, strong winds from the S by Thu afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | ||||||||||||||
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 7 | SSW 8 | SSW 12 | SSW 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 9 | SSE 6 | SE 7 | SE 7 | S 7 | S 7 | S 8 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | S 16 | S 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 51 | 39 | 220 | 96 | 201 | 133 | 100 | 321 | 312 | 176 | 289 | 578 | 805 | 326 | 178 | 61 | 19 | 131 | 149 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on |
High Tide | 10:48PM1.62m | 11:08AM1.73m | 11:37PM1.62m | 12:02PM1.74m | 00:30AM1.61m | 12:56PM1.74m | 1:26AM1.59m | 1:52PM1.74m | 2:24AM1.58m | 2:48PM1.72m | 3:22AM1.57m | 3:46PM1.70m | |||||||
Low Tide | 5:04AM0.55m | 5:36PM0.51m | 5:52AM0.51m | 6:25PM0.49m | 6:41AM0.48m | 7:15PM0.48m | 7:33AM0.47m | 8:07PM0.49m | 8:30AM0.47m | 9:03PM0.51m | 9:29AM0.47m | 10:02PM0.55m | |||||||
 |  |  |  | |  |  |  | | | | |  | |  | | | |  | |
 | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:04 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 27 | 20 | 11 | 15 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 18 | 10 |
Temp °C | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 8 |
Feels °C | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 8 | -2 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 7 | SSW 8 | SSW 12 | SSW 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | NW 8 | SSW 15 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | NNW 9 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | NW 6 | S 7 |
| kJ | 51 | 39 | 220 | 96 | 201 | 133 | 129 | 47 | 57 | 78 | 59 | 22 | 8 | 326 | 178 | 61 | 19 | 102 | 149 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | — | SSW 16 | NNW 7 | SSW 15 | NW 8 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | S 16 | SSW 14 |
| kJ | 21 | 21 | 4 | 4 | 3 | — | 48 | 11 | 21 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 13 | 131 | 120 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | S 10 | — | SE 10 | — | — | N 16 | — | NNW 8 | SSW 14 | — | S 13 | S 13 | S 21 | S 19 | S 18 | S 11 | SE 7 | S 20 |
| kJ | 5 | 2 | — | 4 | — | — | 5 | — | 6 | 20 | — | 3 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 12 | 68 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 5 | NW 5 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NW 7 | SSW 9 | SSE 6 | SE 7 | SE 7 | S 7 | S 7 | S 8 | — | — | NNW 5 | NW 5 | — | — |
| kJ | 179 | 47 | 185 | 301 | 461 | 434 | 100 | 321 | 312 | 176 | 289 | 578 | 805 | — | — | 81 | 143 | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 296 | 59 | 108 | 77 | 126 | 108 | 108 | 59 | 25 | 108 | 110 | 175 | 27 | 6 | 0 | 54 | 54 | 0 | 63 |
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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