Surf Forecasts:
Piha-The Bar surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 31 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 13s period, SW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 1 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 14s period, WSW swell with 9,323 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 29 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 13s 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 Saturday (Aug 29) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 10s. 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 5.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 29) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Mon 31st Aug) | 15ft (4.5m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 16ft (5.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Piha-The Bar over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day surfers, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the table for Piha over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a wild ride, so hang on.
Right off the bat, we’ve got some surf on Saturday the 29th of August, but it’s not the main event. The real story this week is the massive pulse of swell that hits Sunday and Monday, but it’s a tricky one for Piha. Let’s walk through it.
Saturday 29th August – Piha-The Bar (Piha) has a small but clean start to the weekend. You’re looking at a 3.3ft swell from the WSW with a solid 13-second period, giving it some good push. The combined swell energy is moderate (577). There’s light rain and a slight cross-shore breeze, but by Saturday afternoon the wind turns glassy – glassy! That’s a major positive. Wave height drops a touch to 3ft, but it’ll be dead clean. A nice afternoon session for an advanced crew, but definitely not for beginners with the long-period groundswell; it’ll be a bit fat and walled-up at this exposed bar. Water temp is about average for this time of year.
Sunday 30th August – The swell jumps up quick. We’ve got an 8.2ft SW swell pushing through by morning, with a short 8-second period. Combined energy jumps to 1521 (moderate). The wind is a fresh 30 km/h cross-shore, creating lumpy conditions. By the afternoon, it’s 9.8ft and still messy. This is fresh-breeze cross-chop – surfable for the advanced crew only. It’s not the best quality, but there’s plenty of water moving.
Monday 31st August – Here’s the standout, but it’s a double-edged sword. The swell peaks at a massive 14.8ft from the SW, with a long 13-14 second period. Combined energy rockets to 6608 in the morning and 8530 in the afternoon – that’s strong to very strong wave energy. The wind is fresh cross-shore, so it’s lumpy, but the forecast says wind and tide are favourable. However, this swell is too big for Piha – over 8.2ft means experts only, and at 14.8ft it’s a real beast. This is a day for the absolute elite, and even then, the long period groundswell will make the bar break heavy and unpredictable. It’s the best swell of the week in terms of power, but it’s dangerous. Crowds are possible.
Tuesday 1st September – No dice. Swell stays around 16.4ft, but wind cranks up to 40-50 km/h cross-shore. Poor surf conditions, blown out. Don’t bother.
Wednesday 2nd & Thursday 3rd September – Big swell sticks around in the 8.2-11.5ft range, but it’s all cross-onshore or onshore wind from the WSW. Choppy, lumpy, poor quality. Not worth the paddle.
Friday 4th September to Sunday 6th September – Still big. 7.5ft to 13.1ft of WSW groundswell, but consistently onshore or cross-onshore winds. Poor to marginal conditions. The morning of Sunday 6th has a glimmer – 13.1ft swell with a 15-second period and light onshore wind (marginal, score 5), but it’s still too big and messy for anything fun.
Monday 7th & Tuesday 8th September – More of the same: 9.8-13.1ft, strong winds. Poor. Tuesday afternoon sees a shift – a 9.8ft swell from the W, but finally a clean cross-offshore breeze from the SSW at 15 km/h. Combined energy is 3231 (strong). The comment is “marginal” but the conditions are clean. This might be a sneaky later arvo session if you’re desperate, but the swell is still well over beginner level.
Wednesday 9th & Thursday 10th September – Another real standout pops up on Thursday the 10th afternoon. We’ve got a 14.8ft swell from the WSW, 10-second period, combined energy 3933 (strong). And the wind? Offshore from the SE at just 5 km/h – dead clean. The forecast says wind and tide are favourable, but again, the swell is predicted to be too big for Piha. This is a pure big-wave day. Only the absolute best crew should even think about it.
Friday 11th September to Sunday 13th September – The pattern fades. Still big swell (8.2-16.4ft), but winds become onshore or cross-onshore and
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Sat morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri night, min 12°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat afternoon, fresh winds from the WSW by Sun morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Tue afternoon). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WSW on Mon night, light winds from the WNW by Wed night). | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | ||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 6 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 9 | SW 13 | SW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | SW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
362 | 346 | 277 | 456 | 796 | 1009 | 2015 | 6608 | 8530 | 7948 | 9313 | 7776 | 6967 | 4440 | 3584 | 3070 | 2227 | 2522 | 1348 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 9:51PM2.85m | 10:08AM2.74m | 10:24PM2.91m | 10:43AM2.80m | 10:58PM2.93m | 11:18AM2.81m | 11:33PM2.88m | 11:56AM2.77m | 00:11AM2.79m | 12:37PM2.69m | 00:54AM2.65m | 1:24PM2.56m | 1:45AM2.47m | ||||||
Low Tide | 4:03AM0.15m | 4:14PM0.14m | 4:37AM0.08m | 4:49PM0.11m | 5:12AM0.06m | 5:27PM0.14m | 5:50AM0.09m | 6:07PM0.22m | 6:30AM0.19m | 6:51PM0.34m | 7:16AM0.33m | 7:43PM0.49m | |||||||
— | 6:48 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | |
mm | 2 | 9 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 |
Feels °C | 12 | 14 | 13 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 20 | WSW 18 | WSW 18 | WSW 16 | — | — | — | SW 24 | SW 24 | SW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 |
264 | 346 | 277 | 336 | 609 | 751 | 788 | — | — | — | 22 | 22 | 6967 | 4440 | 3584 | 3070 | 2227 | 2522 | 763 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 13 | WNW 8 | WSW 10 | W 9 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 21 | WSW 20 | WSW 18 | — | — | — | — |
362 | 114 | 163 | 6 | 116 | 204 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 117 | 253 | 547 | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 22 | WSW 11 | NW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
50 | 117 | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SW 6 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 9 | SW 13 | SW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | SW 14 | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 11 |
— | — | — | 456 | 796 | 1009 | 2015 | 6608 | 8530 | 7948 | 9313 | 7776 | 5782 | — | — | — | — | — | 1348 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 105 | 169 | 157 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 124 | 138 | 228 | 231 | 339 | 325 | 340 | 228 |
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.











