Surf Forecasts:
Piha-The Bar surf forecast from 2 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 7 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 12s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 16s period, WSW swell with 9,748 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 7 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 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 Monday (Sep 07) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 4.5m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 4.0m and 13s. 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 16s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Piha-The Bar over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve got the outlook for Piha Beach – specifically the Bar. Straight up, this is a stretch built for big-wave hunters, and she’s gonna be throwing plenty of meat, but the wind is the real spoiler for most of the run. You’ll have to wait for the payoff.
The water’s sitting at 58°F – dead average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The first real chance to surf doesn’t come until Saturday, 5 September. The morning shows a 10 ft SW swell (14-second period) with a gentle cross-shore breeze. The combined energy is pumping (3417) – that’s a solid wall of power – but it’s a bit lumpy with a cross-chop. It’s marginal, but the best we’ve seen so far. The afternoon gets a bit messier as the wind swings cross-on.
Sunday, 6 September morning is worth a look. We’ve got a 12 ft WSW swell, a 16-second period, and only a gentle cross-onshore breeze. The energy is huge (6073), but the wind is just enough to keep it from being glassy. Still, these are serious waves – only for the experienced crew.
The real standout, the one you circle on the calendar, is Saturday, 12 September morning. The conditions are exceptional. You’ve got a 13 ft SW swell (17-second period), a light cross-offshore breeze from the south, and the whole thing is clean. The combined energy is insane (9059). This is a big, powerful groundswell with a very long period, so it’ll be walling up and holding its shape – expect long, glassy walls and long lulls between sets. This is an expert-only session. The Bar will be handling that size, but it’s gonna be intimidating. The cross-offshore wind will keep the faces clean, making it pure, heavy, and beautiful. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, but on a wave like this, the lineup tends to thin out.
After that, Monday, 14 September morning offers a 12 ft SW swell (15-second period) with a cross-shore breeze and a moderate chop (5297 energy). It’s not the same quality, but the swell is still there.
The rest of the run is a write-off. The wind is mostly cross-on or onshore, often fresh or strong, and the conditions are either poor or marginal. From Wednesday, 2 September through to Friday, 11 September, it’s a lot of onshore slop, lumpy, and choppy – not worth paddling out. The same goes for the back half of the month.
Forget the beginners. Anything over 8 ft here is expert territory, and we’ve got plenty of that. Truth be told, with the strong winds and the beach setup, the conditions on days like Thursday, 10 September afternoon look more interesting for the kite crowd than us paddle surfers – strong cross-shore with messy chop.
So, the call is clear: Saturday, 12 September morning is the one. That’s the standout. The rest is a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Wed morning, min 13°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Fri afternoon, light winds from the SW by Fri night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 18mm), heaviest on Sun night. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun afternoon, min 11°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | |||||||||||||||
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 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | W 15 | W 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 16 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 11 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
3763 | 3102 | 2299 | 1826 | 1748 | 1965 | 3912 | 6330 | 4597 | 3273 | 4594 | 4948 | 6048 | 5916 | 3751 | 9748 | 4339 | 6056 | 3409 | 2166 | 1527 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross |
High Tide | 12:37PM2.69m | 00:54AM2.65m | 1:24PM2.56m | 1:45AM2.47m | 2:21PM2.42m | 2:49AM2.31m | 3:35PM2.32m | 4:12AM2.21m | 5:03PM2.33m | 5:41AM2.24m | 6:22PM2.46m | 6:54AM2.39m | 7:25PM2.65m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:51PM0.34m | 7:16AM0.33m | 7:43PM0.49m | 8:11AM0.49m | 8:46PM0.64m | 9:18AM0.62m | 10:03PM0.73m | 10:37AM0.66m | 11:26PM0.69m | 11:55AM0.59m | 00:40AM0.54m | 1:02PM0.43m | 1:40AM0.34m | ||||||||
6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | |
— | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:06 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 13 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
Feels °C | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | — | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 16 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | NW 9 | WSW 11 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WNW 9 | WSW 10 |
3763 | 3102 | 2299 | 1826 | 1748 | 1965 | — | 993 | 4597 | 3273 | 4594 | 4948 | 6048 | 5916 | 3751 | 968 | 4339 | 6056 | 3409 | 16 | 1527 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 20 | WSW 18 | SW 16 | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | — | WNW 8 | — | — | — | — | NW 9 | W 24 | WSW 23 |
253 | 547 | 125 | — | — | — | — | — | 428 | 144 | 140 | 111 | — | 14 | — | — | — | — | 49 | 11 | 50 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 23 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 51 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | NW 5 | W 15 | W 16 | — | — | — | — | NW 4 | NW 8 | WNW 9 | WSW 16 | WSW 11 | — | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 |
— | — | — | — | — | 48 | 3912 | 6330 | — | — | — | — | 25 | 51 | 1429 | 9748 | 3513 | — | 2948 | 2166 | 1135 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 231 | 231 | 291 | 325 | 339 | 325 | 339 | 98 | 73 | 125 | 231 | 153 | 8 | 363 | 325 | 127 | 110 | 73 | 171 | 249 | 101 |
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.











