
Surf Forecasts:
Piha-The Bar surf forecast from 8 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 11 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 19s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 11 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 19s period, SW swell with 14,415 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 9 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 12s period with WSW 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 Wednesday (Sep 09) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 9s. 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 4.5m 19s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 11) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Wed 9th Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Fri 11th Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 19s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Fri 11th Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 19s |
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 lined up for us.
We’ve got a long window ahead, and to be straight with you, the first few days are a tease. The real juice doesn’t start showing until the second half of the first week, but when it arrives, it’s proper heavy. The opening sessions are clean and inviting, a bit of a calm before the storm.
Let’s start with Wednesday the 9th of September. It’s a gentle way in. Piha-The-Bar is seeing a 5ft swell out of the WSW, with a 12-second period, and the energy reading is around 843 (moderate). The wind is a light cross-off from the ENE at 6 mph, keeping things clean. The morning looks good, but the afternoon actually upgrades—wind drops to glassy from the south at just 3 mph, the swell drops a touch to 4ft, but the energy holds up. That afternoon session is the pick of this first day, with glassy conditions that’ll iron out any bump. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing weird to report. Crowds are sometimes an issue, so you might have to share, but it’s worth it.
Thursday the 10th is a write-off. The swell jumps, but the wind swings onshore and gets strong. The wave state gets chopped up. Not worth paddling out.
Friday the 11th of September – buckle up. The morning kicks off with a 10ft swell from the WSW, 19-second period, and the energy jumps to 8804 (strong). That’s a proper groundswell, with very long period. The wind is a strong cross-off from the south at 22 mph. This is for advanced surfers only – 10ft is big, and with that period, it’ll be powerful and lined up, but it’s heading straight for the beach. It might be a bit too straight for perfect shape, but the power will be there. Then the afternoon… 15ft from the SW, 18-second period, energy at 23586 (very strong). The wind is cross-off again, but the forecast says it’s actually too big for this break. If you’re an absolute expert, that’s the call of the week, but for anyone else, it’s a spectator session. The sheer size and energy are the standout here.
Saturday the 12th stays huge. 16ft+ swells, but the wind is cross and cross-off with strong gusts. It’s too big and messy. The energy readings are massive (13672 and 7035), but the conditions just aren’t there for a good paddle. Kite surfers might love the wind and chop.
Sunday the 13th through Monday the 16th – the swell stays in the 8ft to 13ft range, with long periods (14-17 seconds), but the wind is mostly cross to cross-onshore. It’s lumpy and choppy, not clean. The energy values are still strong, but the quality isn’t there.
Tuesday the 22nd of September – a real change. The swell drops to a more manageable 13ft from the SW with a 12-second period. The wind is a light cross from the SW at just 6 mph. The energy is 4473 (still strong), but the wind is light cross-shore with just small ripples. This is a much cleaner, more surfable option for the experienced paddler. The consistency is there, and the wind will let the wave face hold up. This is the second standout window after that Friday blast.
Wednesday the 23rd of September – morning looks tempting with a 10ft swell, 14-second period, and a gentle onshore from the NW. It’s not perfect, but the afternoon has a 12ft, 18-second period, and a gentle cross-onshore. The energy is high (7904), so there’s plenty of push, but it’s not glassy.
So, here’s the deal: the absolute highlight of the entire 16-day run is the afternoon of Friday the 11th of September. 15ft, 18-second period, cross-off wind, and massive energy. It’s an expert-only, once-in-a-while kind of swell. The other top pick is the morning of Tuesday the 22nd of September – still big at 13ft, but with light cross winds that will make it cleaner and more manageable. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or just too big and messy.
Stay safe out there, that big Friday might be one for the memory bank, not the water if you’re not ready.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Wed afternoon, min 10°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, fresh winds from the SSW by Thu night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Fri night. Very mild (max 14°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SW on Sat morning, light winds from the SW by Sun night). | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | ||||||||||||||
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 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 18 | SW 11 | WSW 16 | WSW 19 | SW 18 | WSW 17 | SW 16 | SW 11 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
918 | 575 | 483 | 800 | 862 | 608 | 1743 | 6459 | 13008 | 12918 | 13672 | 7035 | 11522 | 9885 | 8637 | 6647 | 4960 | 3991 | 2989 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-on | on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on |
High Tide | 7:52AM2.57m | 8:15PM2.83m | 8:39AM2.73m | 9:00PM2.96m | 9:22AM2.85m | 9:40PM3.03m | 10:01AM2.92m | 10:18PM3.02m | 10:39AM2.92m | 10:54PM2.95m | 11:15AM2.86m | 11:30PM2.82m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:40AM0.34m | 1:58PM0.25m | 2:30AM0.15m | 2:46PM0.11m | 3:14AM0.02m | 3:29PM0.02m | 3:55AM-0.05m | 4:10PM-0.01m | 4:33AM-0.04m | 4:49PM0.04m | 5:10AM0.03m | 5:27PM0.15m | |||||||
— | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | |
— | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:10 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 4 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 11 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
Feels °C | 9 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | SW 11 | WSW 16 | WSW 19 | SW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 |
918 | 575 | 483 | 800 | 862 | 561 | 1743 | 6459 | 13008 | — | — | — | — | — | 8637 | 6647 | 4960 | 3991 | 2989 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WSW 21 | WSW 19 | WSW 18 | WSW 17 | SW 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
99 | 50 | 288 | 475 | 835 | 608 | 1567 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 22 | SW 21 | NW 8 | NW 8 | WSW 25 | SW 23 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
47 | 218 | 17 | 15 | 59 | 259 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | WNW 7 | WNW 5 | SW 8 | SW 10 | SW 18 | WSW 17 | SW 16 | SW 11 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | 5 | 81 | 1114 | 2345 | 10578 | 12918 | 13672 | 7035 | 11522 | 9885 | 7214 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 85 | 85 | 81 | 153 | 124 | 85 | 173 | 211 | 138 | 228 | 166 | 231 | 231 | 231 | 231 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Auckland | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.










