Surf Forecasts:
Piha-The Bar surf forecast from 16 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 18 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 10s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 21 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 17s period, WSW swell with 17,014 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 18 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 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 Friday (Sep 18) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.3m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 1.7m 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 5.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 21) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Friday (Sep 18) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Fri 18th Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Fri 18th Sep) | 16ft (5.0m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Mon 21st Sep) | 18ft (5.5m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Piha-The Bar over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about what’s coming up for Piha.
First up, the good stuff is a little way off. We’ve got a bit of a wait on our hands. The early part of the forecast is a write-off—wind and swell are all over the place, nothing worth paddling out for. We’re looking at a gap of a few days before things get going.
Now, the real standout is Friday the 18th of September. That morning is where you want to be. We’re looking at an 12 ft swell from the WSW, and the wind is offshore from the ESE at 9 mph. That’s a clean, offshore setup at Piha, and for the experienced crew, this is proper. The combined energy is strong at 3549, so there’s plenty of push. This is the best on offer.
Saturday the 19th holds size, but the wind turns cross and then cross-onshore, so it gets lumpy pretty quick. Still a solid 13 ft swell from the SW early, but the wind will mess it up. By Sunday the 20th, it’s getting too big and messy—18 ft to 20 ft with strong cross winds. That’s expert-only, and honestly, with that wind, it’s more of a kitesurfing show than a paddle session.
We get another standout window on Thursday the 24th of September. The morning is looking magic: clear skies, 12 ft swell from the WSW, and a clean offshore wind from the SSE at 12 mph. The combined energy is still substantial at 6409. This is exceptional for the advanced crew, but the swell size means beginners should sit this one out. The afternoon stays clean with a cross-off breeze, but the morning is the pick.
After that, things taper. Friday the 25th still has some clean 8 ft waves for experienced surfers, but nothing special. Then we hit a quiet patch. By Monday the 28th of September, there’s a glassy morning with 8 ft swell from the SW—light wind from the NE, dead calm. That could be a sneaky good session for the intermediates, but it’s not the standout.
The rest of the run into early October fades with small, weak swell and poor conditions. The water temp at Piha is sitting around 58°F, which is pretty normal for this time of year, nothing unusual.
So, to sum it up: mark your calendar for Friday the 18th morning and Thursday the 24th morning. Those are your best bets for clean, powerful surf at Piha. Everything else is a gamble or a pass.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu morning, min 12°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the N on Thu afternoon, strong winds from the SW by Fri night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue morning, min 12°C on Sun morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SW on Sun morning, moderate winds from the SW by Sun night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | Monday 21 | Tuesday 22 | ||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 11 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SW 10 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 11 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 17 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | SW 8 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 572 | 620 | 1164 | 2234 | 1834 | 3529 | 3685 | 5000 | 2746 | 5952 | 6846 | 7495 | 11219 | 12847 | 17014 | 13203 | 7817 | 4139 | 2721 | 1622 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 00:44AM2.45m | 1:09PM2.42m | 1:26AM2.26m | 1:57PM2.24m | 2:19AM2.08m | 2:59PM2.10m | 3:31AM1.96m | 4:22PM2.04m | 4:59AM1.95m | 5:42PM2.11m | 6:13AM2.06m | 6:42PM2.26m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:44PM0.50m | 7:01AM0.53m | 7:27PM0.69m | 7:46AM0.71m | 8:19PM0.87m | 8:42AM0.87m | 9:27PM0.99m | 9:55AM0.96m | 10:48PM1.01m | 11:14AM0.93m | 00:00AM0.91m | 12:19PM0.81m | 00:56AM0.74m | |||||||
 |  |  |  |  | | | |  | | |  | | | | | | | |  | |
 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — |
 | 6:13 | — | — | 6:14 | — | — | 6:14 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:17 | — |
mm | — | — | — | 3 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 1 | — | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 12 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 13 |
Feels °C | 11 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 11 | WSW 16 | — | WSW 15 | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 17 | WSW 17 | — | WSW 14 | — | SW 18 |
| kJ | 572 | 620 | 1164 | 2234 | 1834 | 3529 | 1766 | — | 2169 | — | — | — | — | — | 17014 | 13203 | — | 4139 | — | 155 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 6 | WSW 18 | — | NW 7 | WNW 9 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 28 | 31 | — | 143 | 442 | 20 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NNW 3 | NW 5 | — | — | — | SW 11 | SW 10 | SW 10 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 11 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 17 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | SW 8 |
| kJ | — | 1 | 72 | — | — | — | 3685 | 5000 | 2746 | 5952 | 6846 | 7495 | 11219 | 12847 | 12735 | 10624 | 7817 | 3582 | 2721 | 1622 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 312 | 1 | 325 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 169 | 124 | 342 | 337 | 362 | 227 | 153 | 153 | 346 | 291 | 325 | 352 | 231 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Auckland | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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.
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