
Surf Forecasts:
Piha-The Bar surf forecast from 22 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 20ft (6.0m), 14s period, WSW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 20ft (6.0m), 14s period, WSW swell with 14,248 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 23 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 13s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Piha-The Bar this week:
The surf forecast for Piha-The Bar over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 23) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Piha-The Bar in the next 16 days are 6.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 6s period and expected on Friday (Jul 24) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Sat 25th Jul) | 20ft (6.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Sat 25th Jul) | 20ft (6.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Piha-The Bar over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Piha. This is a solid stretch of time, but there’s a rough patch we gotta get through first.
A lot of this sixteen-day window is dominated by a big, powerful WSW swell train, but the wind is gonna be a real problem for most of the first week. The water temp is sitting at 58°F, which is just about average for this time of year, so no shock to the system there.
The first real chance to paddle out starts Thursday, 23 July. Thursday morning is the standout of the first week. The swell is a clean 5ft from the SW, period is a juicy 14 seconds, and the wind is glassy. There’s a solid 1037 combined energy (moderate) and the conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers. This is a wave with some power, but it’s not too big. Because it’s a long period groundswell, that SSW wind is gonna be working perfectly for that exposed bar, making for some nice, clean lines. Crowds can be a thing at Piha though, so get in early.
After that, it gets messy. Friday (24 July) and Saturday (25 July) are write-offs. The wind shifts and builds, and on Saturday, the swell pumps up to a massive 18ft – 20ft with a combined energy reading over 13000 (very strong). That is way too big and chaotic for paddle surfing. It’s more of a kite-surfing kind of setup if you’re into that.
Sunday the 26th is still huge, over 13ft, but the afternoon session cleans up with a crisp S wind. It’s still a big, heavy wave, so only for experts with a lot of bottle. The rest of that week into the 30th and 31st is a mixed bag of big, lumpy swell and wind.
Now, hold on to your board, because the end of the run looks promising. Monday, 3rd August, is a real beauty. The morning is a clean 5ft from the SW, but with a super long 18 second period. The wind is light and clean. The combined energy is still a punchy 2145 (moderate). The afternoon is even better, with 8ft of groundswell, a 16 second period, and a light SW wind. That’s a classic Piha winter day – long, powerful lines. The forecast confidence is high for this one.
Tuesday the 4th is also a gem. The morning is glassy, with a 6ft groundswell. It’s going to be clean and inviting. Wednesday the 5th has a glassy afternoon session with 5ft of long-period swell, perfect for a late arvo paddle.
So, the best on offer is a tie between Thursday morning, 23 July, for the early clean session, and the Monday afternoon, 3rd August, for the bigger, longer-period groundswell with perfect wind. The Monday session is the true standout if you can wait for it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Fri night. Very mild (max 14°C on Wed morning, min 11°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu morning, strong winds from the W by Fri night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Sat night. Very mild (max 13°C on Sun morning, min 8°C on Sun afternoon). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SW on Sat morning, calm by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | W 9 | WSW 11 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
712 | 282 | 205 | 975 | 1127 | 983 | 488 | 390 | 1592 | 6925 | 13068 | 10647 | 8631 | 6386 | 4333 | 3207 | 2940 | 2253 | 1857 | 1501 | 955 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:34PM2.25m | 3:53AM2.20m | 4:36PM2.17m | 4:58AM2.11m | 5:43PM2.16m | 6:05AM2.10m | 6:46PM2.21m | 7:06AM2.15m | 7:40PM2.32m | 7:58AM2.26m | 8:26PM2.44m | 8:42AM2.37m | 9:07PM2.57m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:23AM0.61m | 9:50PM0.79m | 10:19AM0.73m | 10:53PM0.88m | 11:20AM0.79m | 11:59PM0.90m | 12:22PM0.78m | 1:00AM0.85m | 1:19PM0.71m | 1:53AM0.75m | 2:08PM0.60m | 2:38AM0.62m | 2:50PM0.49m | ||||||||
7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | |
— | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | |
mm | — | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 3 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 3 | — | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
Feels °C | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 16 | SW 12 | SW 7 | SW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | W 8 | WSW 18 | — | — | WSW 14 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | — | — | — | SW 18 | SW 17 | WSW 16 |
51 | 282 | 143 | 975 | 1127 | 983 | 488 | 160 | 126 | — | — | 10647 | 8631 | 6386 | 4333 | — | — | — | 13 | 11 | 26 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WSW 16 | SW 12 | SW 6 | — | — | — | WSW 12 | WSW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | 102 | 205 | 62 | — | — | — | 390 | 126 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | WSW 15 | — | — | — | — | W 22 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 121 | — | — | — | — | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 7 | — | — | SW 6 | — | NW 4 | NW 6 | W 9 | WSW 11 | WSW 13 | — | — | — | — | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 |
712 | 156 | — | — | 49 | — | 40 | 269 | 1592 | 6925 | 13068 | — | — | — | — | 3207 | 2940 | 2253 | 1857 | 1501 | 955 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 127 | 231 | 101 | 0 | 337 | 312 | 121 | 325 | 78 | 337 | 169 | 44 | 44 | 73 | 44 | 44 | 85 | 81 | 73 | 73 | 44 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Auckland | |||||||||||||||||||||
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)
Information about the Piha-The Bar Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Piha-The Bar provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Piha-The Bar can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Piha-The Bar 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 (Piha-The Bar) 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 Piha-The Bar 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.
Piha-The Bar is 12 km (7 miles) from the city of Auckland. If you plan a holiday in Auckland, look for hotels and other accommodation in Auckland. Auckland has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










