Surf Forecasts:
Lyall Bay surf forecast from 20 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 26 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 8s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 26 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 10s period, S swell with 4,022 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 16s 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 Tuesday (Jul 21) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 11s. 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 4.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 26) 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 2.5m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Sun 26th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Sun 26th Jul) | 15ft (4.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Lyall Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, listen up, it’s Rusty. Let’s break down what’s happening at Lyall Bay.
First off, it’s a tough start. The next few days are going to be a grind, but we’ve got a proper window of clean surf shaping up for the end of the month and into early August. The standout is the Thursday 30th July morning session. We’ve got a clean 8ft S swell rolling in with a light breeze, and the water is sitting at a typical 54°F for this time of year. The combined energy is strong (2100), and the conditions are set for experienced surfers.
The real highlight, though, is the Tuesday 21st July morning. The wind is offshore from the North at 16 mph, cleaning up a solid 6ft S swell. The period is a solid 14 seconds, so it’s a proper groundswell with plenty of push. The combined energy is pumping (1112), and it’s the best of the first week.
Monday 20th July is a write-off – onshore winds and a messy 6ft swell with a weak energy rating (1894) – it’s a scratchy, marginal one. Wednesday 22nd July morning goes glassy, but the swell is small at 4ft, so it’s a bit of a fizzler. The rest of the week from Thursday 23rd through to Monday 27th July is a total gap with nothing but poor conditions and strong winds. The Tuesday 28th July morning could be a sneaky one, with a light offshore and a 4ft SE swell, but it’s nothing to get too excited about.
Then we jump to the big one. Thursday 30th July is the expert’s choice. A clean 8ft S swell with a 12-second period and light winds. The energy is very strong (2100). The afternoon holds up too, with a 8ft SSW swell. That’s the pick of the whole forecast.
After that, from Friday 31st July all the way through to Tuesday 4th August, the surf goes flat and the wind turns onshore again. It’s a long, dry spell to finish the run.
So, for the best of it, set your alarm for Tuesday 21st July morning for the offshore winds and solid swell, and if you’ve got the skills, Thursday 30th July is the day to go big.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 11°C on Tue night, min 7°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the N on Tue morning, calm by Wed morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 13°C on Fri morning, min 6°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the S on Sat morning, gales from the S by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | S 14 | S 19 | S 16 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | SSE 9 | S 9 | SSW 15 | S 7 | S 9 | SSW 8 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1225 | 4097 | 2316 | 1081 | 782 | 497 | 322 | 157 | 89 | 58 | 28 | 16 | 8 | 6 | 21 | 209 | 154 | 1782 | 4022 | 3279 | 2452 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | cross-off | off | off | off | glassy | on | glassy | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-off | cross-off | on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:40AM1.66m | 10:08PM1.66m | 10:31AM1.66m | 10:58PM1.63m | 11:21AM1.65m | 11:46PM1.60m | 12:11PM1.63m | 00:31AM1.58m | 12:59PM1.62m | 1:17AM1.54m | 1:44PM1.61m | 2:04AM1.51m | 2:26PM1.60m | 2:50AM1.48m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:59PM0.54m | 4:27AM0.57m | 4:53PM0.58m | 5:15AM0.61m | 5:45PM0.63m | 6:00AM0.65m | 6:33PM0.67m | 6:43AM0.70m | 7:19PM0.71m | 7:24AM0.73m | 8:03PM0.73m | 8:06AM0.76m | 8:47PM0.75m | ||||||||
 |  |  | |  |  | | | | | | |  | | | |  |  | | | | |
 | 7:39 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — |
 | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:19 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 11 | 3 | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
Feels °C | 6 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | -5 | -4 | -2 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | S 19 | S 16 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 9 | SSW 9 | SSW 8 | S 9 | SSW 15 | S 7 | S 9 | NW 8 | SE 14 | SE 14 | SE 13 |
| kJ | 1225 | 4097 | 2316 | 1081 | 782 | 497 | 322 | 157 | 89 | 58 | 28 | 16 | 6 | 6 | 21 | 209 | 154 | 31 | 95 | 203 | 183 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 19 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SSW 15 | SSW 16 | SE 15 | E 11 | E 11 | SE 11 |
| kJ | 598 | 55 | 50 | 31 | 31 | 24 | 11 | 60 | 42 | 22 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 42 | 49 | 58 | 23 | 22 | 119 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 12 | — | — | — | — | SE 11 | — | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SW 12 | SE 12 | S 14 | S 7 | ESE 13 | SE 14 | E 13 | — | — | E 12 |
| kJ | 71 | — | — | — | — | 31 | — | 11 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 30 | 12 | — | — | 11 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | N 3 | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | — | — | — | NNW 4 | NNW 5 | NW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 7 | NW 6 | NW 7 | NW 6 | SSW 8 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 4 | 24 | 6 | — | — | — | 22 | 91 | 269 | 330 | 362 | 244 | 15 | 518 | 1782 | 4022 | 3279 | 2452 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 27 | 116 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 0 | 6 | 54 | 123 | 131 | 115 | 108 | 15 | 54 | 63 | 110 | 253 | 63 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Wellington | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Lyall Bay surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest