Middleton Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(Taranaki, New Zealand)

Forecast
- Hourly Forecast
- 16 Day Forecast
Maps
Live
Weather State
Spot Information

Middleton Bay Surf Guide

Middleton Bay in Taranaki is an exposed reef break that has fairly consistent surf and can work at any time of the year. Offshore winds are from the southeast. Windswells and groundswells in equal measure and the best swell direction is from the southwest. Reef breaks provide lefts and rights. Sometimes crowded. Take care of rocks in the line up.

Middleton Bay Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Reef	4	fairly consistent	16.9°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Middleton Bay:

The best conditions reported for surf at Middleton Bay occur when a Southwest swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the Northeast.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

What's the best time of year to surf Middleton Bay (for consistent clean waves)?

augustBest Season: winter

The best time of year for surfing Middleton Bay with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winter and most often the month of August. Clean surfable waves are typically found 24% of the time in August while 58% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 18% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

24%

Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.

blown out

58%

Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).

too small

18%

Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Middleton Bay Location Map

Interactive Middleton Bay surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The closest passenger airport to Middleton Bay is New Plymouth Airport (NPL) in New Zealand, 56 km (35 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Middleton Bay is Wanganui Airport (WAG), also in New Zealand, 122 km (76 miles) away.

Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)

Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.

Middleton Bay Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Tuesday, 5 May 2026, 08:09 Local Time

m, °C	Tuesday 05
ft, °F	9AM	12PM	3PM	6PM
Wave (m)	WSW	WSW	WSW	SW
Period (s)	12	13	12	14
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	cross- off	cross- off	cross	glass

Tides at Middleton Bay

Current tide and informaton

For Opunake Bay, New Zealand, 8 km from Middleton Bay.

Next High Water: 11:37am | 2.92m

Next Low Water: 05:51pm | 0.62m

NEXT	IS AT (local time)	remaining
high tide
low tide

Middleton Bay Sea Temperature

The water temperature (16.9 °C) at Middleton Bay is quite cool. If the sun does come out as forecast, it should feel warm enough to surf in a good sealed spring wetsuit. Some surfers would prefer to wear gloves and boots too. Effective windchill factor of (12.0 °C) will make the air and water feel about the same temperature.

Today, many surfers would wear a spring wetsuit, neoprene gloves and boots.