Surf Forecasts:
Piha-The Bar surf forecast from 13 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 16 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 16s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 16 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 16s period, SW swell with 7,411 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 13 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 17s 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 Thursday (Aug 13) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 1.5m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Piha-The Bar in the next 16 days are 4.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 16) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Thu 13th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Sun 16th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Sun 16th Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Piha-The Bar over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks. Rusty here, breaking down the surf for Piha-The-Bar.
We’ve got a solid run of surf coming up, starting this Thursday, the 13th of August. The water is sitting at 57°F, which is pretty average for this time of year, so you won’t be freezing.
The action kicks off Thursday morning with a clean 3ft swell from the WSW, and the wind is glassy out of the NNW. The energy is moderate (814), and it’s setting up for some nice, clean waves. It’s not huge, but the conditions are lovely. Thursday afternoon sees the swell bump up to 5ft from the W, but the wind swings cross-on, so the morning window is definitely the one to aim for.
Now, Friday the 14th is where it starts to get really exciting. The morning brings a 6ft swell from the WSW with a very long 16-second period, giving that swell some serious grunt (2000 energy). The wind is cross-off from the east, so the face will be clean. By the afternoon, the swell is a solid 7ft from the WSW, and the wind goes fully offshore from the SSE. This is a standout session for experienced surfers—clean, powerful, and well-shaped. Saturday morning pushes up to 7ft with a 17-second period (3092 energy), and while the wind is cross-off from the south, you’ll still get some proper lines. The afternoon gets a bit messy with light rain and a stronger 16 mph wind, but the swell is up to 8ft.
Sunday the 16th is another big one. Morning sees 12ft from the SW with a 16-second period, and the energy is pumping (6666). The wind is cross-off, so it’s still surfable, but this is getting into expert territory. If you’re a confident charger, the afternoon is the real standout: 12ft from the SW, offshore wind from the SE, and exceptional conditions. That’s the best of the entire forecast if you’ve got the skill.
Monday the 17th stays big and raw, with 10ft from the SW and strong winds, but the quality drops off a touch. Still, for the experienced crew, there’s plenty of power.
The swell eases through the middle of the week. Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th offer 6ft to 7ft waves, mostly clean, but the wind is a bit stronger. The energy is still moderate to strong, so it’s not a write-off.
Then we get a nice little window on Thursday the 20th. Morning brings 7ft from the SW with glassy conditions from the ENE. That’s a clean, powerful morning for experienced surfers. The energy is solid (1761). Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd are smaller, around 4ft to 5ft, with clean conditions, so it’s a good time for the less experienced or those wanting a fun, mellow paddle.
There’s a lull from Sunday the 23rd through to the morning of Thursday the 27th, where the swell drops to around 3ft to 5ft. The energy is low (under 700), and the wind is mostly light, but the waves are going to be small and weak. It’s a gap of a few days with nothing special.
The forecast finishes with a bang on Friday the 28th. The morning has a 13ft swell from the west with a short period of 8 seconds (2544 energy), but the wind is glassy. The afternoon is a monster: 16ft from the west with a 12-second period and an incredible 7541 energy. The wind is light and cross-off from the south, but the forecast notes that the swell is too big for this break. Only the absolute top-tier experts should even look at it, and even then, it’s a huge risk.
The standout session? No question: Friday the 14th afternoon. The swell is 7ft from the WSW, offshore wind, and the period is a very long 16 seconds. That’s clean, powerful, and well-shaped. For the big wave crew, Sunday the 16th afternoon is the peak, but it’s only for experts.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu morning, min 12°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu afternoon, fresh winds from the SSW by Sat afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 12°C on Sun morning, min 8°C on Sun night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 14 | W 12 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | WSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | WSW 16 | SW 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
293 | 726 | 1018 | 1849 | 1948 | 1258 | 2674 | 3797 | 7411 | 6229 | 6307 | 5816 | 3720 | 3664 | 2746 | 1176 | 1919 | 1435 | 1387 | 828 | 2523 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:41AM2.84m | 10:03PM3.09m | 10:25AM2.90m | 10:45PM3.10m | 11:07AM2.89m | 11:25PM3.03m | 11:47AM2.83m | 00:04AM2.89m | 12:27PM2.71m | 00:43AM2.71m | 1:07PM2.56m | 1:24AM2.50m | 1:51PM2.40m | 2:08AM2.30m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:49PM-0.02m | 4:20AM-0.05m | 4:34PM-0.05m | 5:03AM-0.06m | 5:17PM-0.01m | 5:43AM0.00m | 5:58PM0.11m | 6:23AM0.13m | 6:39PM0.27m | 7:03AM0.30m | 7:22PM0.47m | 7:45AM0.49m | 8:08PM0.67m | ||||||||
7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | |
— | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 |
Feels °C | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | W 12 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | WSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 9 | SW 15 |
255 | 726 | 1018 | 1849 | 1948 | 1258 | 2674 | 3797 | 3637 | 6229 | 6307 | 5816 | 3720 | 3664 | 2746 | 1176 | 1919 | 1435 | 1387 | 294 | 2523 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 14 | WSW 17 | W 11 | WSW 20 | — | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 18 | WSW 13 | — |
293 | 629 | 451 | 151 | — | 103 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 480 | 528 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | WSW 15 | — | — | — | WSW 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 16 | — |
266 | 42 | — | — | — | 149 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 828 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 4 | SW 7 | SW 7 | SW 16 | SW 8 | — | — | S 7 | SW 15 | — | SSW 9 | S 5 | S 5 | SW 10 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 25 | 418 | 483 | 7411 | 437 | — | — | 352 | 3093 | — | 421 | 62 | 16 | 450 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 53 | 73 | 81 | 53 | 0 | 0 | 81 | 103 | 53 | 0 | 125 | 101 | 53 | 125 | 0 |
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.











