Surf Forecasts:
Lyall Bay surf forecast from 10 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 12 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 16 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 8s period, SSW swell with 1,225 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 12 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s period with SSE 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 12) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 8s 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 3.5m 8s 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 0.8m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 13) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Wed 12th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Wed 12th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Sun 16th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Lyall Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Lyall Bay till my eyes went square. Let me tell you straight up – the next two weeks are a real mixed bag, and honestly, for a decent paddle, you’ll be waiting a while.
We’ve got a bit of a rough patch to start. The first few days are looking pretty average. Monday the 10th has a tiny 2ft SSE swell, but it’s onshore and messy. Tuesday the 11th pushes up to 6ft in the morning, but it’s cross-onshore from the SSE and choppy as hell. Wednesday the 12th is a bit cleaner with a light offshore, but the swell’s only 3ft from the SE with a short period of 7 seconds – not much push there. Thursday the 13th is even smaller, with 1ft ESE swells and offshore winds, but the combined energy is a measly 65 – just weak. Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th are write-offs with onshore winds and rain, and by Sunday the 16th, we’re looking at 10ft of S swell but with a howling 34 mph onshore wind – that’s pure punishment, and the combined energy is a whopping 1086, but it’s all blown out. Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th are still poor with strong onshore winds.
Alright, here’s where it gets interesting. The real standout – and I mean the only one worth planning for – is Wednesday the 19th of August. Wednesday morning, the forecast shows a massive 21ft swell from the south, with a very long period of 16 seconds. The wind is light and cross-off from the WNW, and the combined energy is a staggering 41218 – that’s a serious amount of power. But here’s the catch: it’s flagged as too big for Lyall Bay. This is a beginner spot, and with that size, it’s only for experts, and even then, it’ll be a wild beast. The long period groundswell will make it super straight and hard to manage at this beach break. If you’re a pro, it’s a monster, but for most of us, it’s a day to watch from the beach.
The water temperature is around 54°F, which is about average for the time of year, with an anomaly of just -0.2°F – nothing unusual there.
After that, Thursday the 20th is still too big with 12ft S swell, though the afternoon has a nice offshore NNW wind at 9 mph, making it clean. Still, it’s too big for the break. Friday the 21st is where things start to calm down. The afternoon has a 5ft S swell, with a period of 10 seconds, and a gentle offshore NNW wind – that’s clean and surfable, with a combined energy of 702. It’s not a standout, but it’s the best of the later week. Saturday the 22nd is a bit smaller, and Sunday the 23rd shows a 7ft S swell in the morning, but with a short period of 8 seconds, it’s not great.
So, to sum it up: the best on offer is the huge swell on Wednesday the 19th, but it’s too big for the break. The next decent clean session is Friday the 21st afternoon. If you’re looking for a proper paddle, you’ve got a 9-day gap of poor conditions before that. Keep an eye on the charts, but for now, it’s a tough run.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Wed night. Very mild (max 13°C on Wed afternoon, min 9°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 18mm), heaviest on Fri night. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu afternoon, min 8°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNE on Thu night, near gales from the S by Sat night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 9 | S 8 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 7 | S 10 | S 10 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | SE 10 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | SE 5 | SSE 5 | S 6 | S 6 | SSW 8 | S 7 | S 7 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 86 | 368 | 517 | 284 | 193 | 84 | 52 | 46 | 30 | 26 | 26 | 34 | 122 | 78 | 139 | 311 | 322 | 998 | 1005 | 453 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 2:41AM1.61m | 3:04PM1.79m | 3:41AM1.60m | 4:02PM1.77m | 4:39AM1.60m | 5:01PM1.75m | 5:37AM1.60m | 6:00PM1.72m | 6:34AM1.61m | 6:58PM1.68m | 7:30AM1.63m | 7:55PM1.65m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 12:44PM0.47m | 1:24AM0.56m | 1:42PM0.51m | 2:17AM0.58m | |||||||
 |  |  | | | |  |  | | | | | |  |  |  | | | |  | |
 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — |
 | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 6 | 3 | 5 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
Feels °C | 9 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 1 | -4 | -5 | -5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 9 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 11 | SSW 15 | SSW 18 | SSW 18 | S 17 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SSW 14 |
| kJ | 86 | 120 | 104 | 284 | 193 | 84 | 47 | 25 | 30 | 26 | 25 | 34 | 5 | 21 | 62 | 103 | 147 | 88 | 82 | 118 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 9 | NNW 8 | S 14 | SSE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SSW 15 | — | SE 13 | ESE 8 | SE 14 | — | — | ESE 9 |
| kJ | 20 | 7 | 14 | 84 | 31 | 29 | 52 | 46 | 27 | 22 | 26 | 16 | 21 | — | 7 | 24 | 7 | — | — | 26 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 12 | SSW 15 | NW 8 | S 13 | S 13 | S 10 | S 15 | ESE 10 | SE 14 | NNW 8 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | NW 8 | SE 10 | — | SE 13 | N 18 | — | — | SE 16 |
| kJ | 23 | 21 | 2 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 24 | 23 | 3 | 4 | — | 7 | 6 | — | — | 10 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 5 | S 8 | S 8 | — | ENE 3 | — | — | NNW 3 | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | NE 2 | — | SE 8 | SE 5 | SSE 5 | S 6 | S 6 | SSW 8 | S 7 | S 7 |
| kJ | 8 | 368 | 517 | — | 3 | — | — | 1 | 13 | 6 | 1 | — | 122 | 78 | 139 | 311 | 322 | 998 | 1005 | 453 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 15 | 59 | 63 | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 59 | 59 | 116 | 151 | 195 | 169 | 256 | 206 |
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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