Surf Forecasts:
Mangawhai Heads surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 5s period, N swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 30 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 9s period, NE swell with 128 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 5s period with N swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Mangawhai Heads this week:
The surf forecast for Mangawhai Heads over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 5s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.1m and 9s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Mangawhai Heads in the next 16 days are 0.9m 9s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 30) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 5s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 5s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Sun 30th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Mangawhai Heads over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what we've got coming up for Mangawhai Heads over the next couple of weeks. I'm not gonna lie, this one’s a bit of a heartbreaker. We're staring down the barrel of a long, slow period with precious little to get excited about.
The whole 16-day window is dominated by tiny, weak swell. For the first week and a half, we’re looking at ankle-biters. The water temp is sitting around 58°F, which is pretty average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Monday the 28th of August sees the first real bump in energy, with a north swell pushing up to 3ft. Problem is, that wind is gonna be howling from the north at 12 mph, making a mess of things with a nasty cross-chop. It’s not worth the paddle. By Friday afternoon we get a bit more size (4ft from the north), but that short, 5-second period and onshore wind will turn it into a closeout mess. Not for the longboarders, and definitely not fun.
Things settle a touch on Saturday morning the 29th. We get a cleaner window with a light north-northwest breeze, and a 3ft swell from the north. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. The period is short (6 seconds), so the shape won’t be there.
The only faint glimmer in this whole forecast is the morning of Wednesday, the 2nd of September. We've got a clean, offshore west wind blowing at 16 mph and a 2ft northeast swell. For Mangawhai Heads, an offshore wind is a massive positive. The swell is still tiny, but a clean 2ft with an offshore breeze can give you some fun little walls. It’s the standout, but only because everything else is so flat or blown out. It’s a long way out, so keep an eye on it, but it’s the only real chance for a few clean little peelers in the whole run.
After that, it’s back to flatness and stronger winds into the second week. Frankly, the setup looks better for a kite surfer than a paddler for most of this.
Hang in there, things can change. This stretch of poor surf isn’t unusual for the area, but it’s a tough one to swallow.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Wed morning, min 11°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Fri night. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri afternoon, min 11°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 12 | E 13 | E 12 | E 13 | E 13 | N 14 | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | NNE 10 | NNE 9 | N 4 | N 4 | N 5 | N 5 | N 6 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 22 | 53 | 65 | 76 | 83 | 73 | 128 | 88 | 58 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:25PM1.79m | 4:38AM1.73m | 5:17PM1.85m | 5:30AM1.78m | 6:05PM1.93m | 6:18AM1.84m | 6:48PM2.01m | 7:02AM1.92m | 7:28PM2.09m | 7:45AM1.99m | 8:07PM2.15m | 8:26AM2.05m | 8:46PM2.19m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:07AM0.54m | 10:44PM0.66m | 11:02AM0.50m | 11:38PM0.61m | 11:52AM0.44m | 00:27AM0.52m | 12:39PM0.38m | 1:12AM0.43m | 1:22PM0.32m | 1:53AM0.35m | 2:04PM0.27m | 2:34AM0.27m | 2:45PM0.25m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | | | | | | | |  | |  |  |  | | | | | |
 | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — |
 | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 13 |
Feels °C | 11 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 4 | NE 12 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 11 | NE 11 | NE 10 | NE 10 | N 3 | NNE 10 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NE 9 | N 6 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 8 |
| kJ | 2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 12 | 76 | 83 | 73 | 128 | 88 | 58 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | — | E 12 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | NE 10 | — | E 12 | E 10 | NE 7 | E 10 | — | NE 8 | E 13 | NE 10 | — | N 6 | NE 10 |
| kJ | 3 | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | — | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 28 | 4 | 39 | — | 2 | 28 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 11 | E 13 | — | N 12 | — | N 14 | — | N 10 | E 12 | E 12 | E 10 | E 11 | E 9 | N 11 | E 15 | NE 9 | NNE 11 | E 13 | — | E 12 | E 12 |
| kJ | 5 | 3 | — | 3 | — | 4 | — | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 3 | — | 3 | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 2 | — | — | WSW 2 | — | N 2 | N 4 | N 4 | N 5 | N 5 | — | — | SW 3 | SW 3 | WSW 4 | SW 4 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 13 | 22 | 53 | 65 | — | — | 3 | 5 | 29 | 10 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 166 | 166 | 166 | 166 | 166 | 166 | 242 | 393 | 219 | 73 | 242 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Northland | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Mangawhai Heads Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Mangawhai Heads provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Mangawhai Heads can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Mangawhai Heads 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 (Mangawhai Heads) 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 Mangawhai Heads 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.
Mangawhai Heads is 46 km (29 miles) from the city of Whangarei. If you plan a holiday in Northland, look for hotels and other accommodation in Whangarei. Whangarei has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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