Piha-The Bar Surf Break

Lat Long: 36.95° S 174.47° E

Piha-The Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 20 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Piha-The Bar sea temperature is
13.7° C
0.6° 

Piha-The Bar surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Piha-The Bar surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 15s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 16s period, WSW swell with 8,289 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 15s 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 (Aug 24) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 4.0m and 15s period. 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 4.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6PM (Mon 24th Aug)13ft (4.0m) 15s
Best Surf 6PM (Mon 24th Aug)13ft (4.0m) 15s
Most Powerful 3PM (Mon 24th Aug)13ft (4.0m) 16s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Piha-The Bar over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

G'day, I'm Rusty, and I've got the lowdown on the next couple of weeks at Piha-The-Bar.

Right off the bat, the water temperature here is sitting at 57°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so nothing unusual to report there.

The long-range outlook is a bit of a mixed bag, but there are a couple of real standouts. The best session on offer is shaping up for Monday afternoon, August 24th. We've got a solid 12 ft swell rolling in from the WSW, with a long 16-second period that's packing some serious energy (5815). The wind is a gentle 9 mph SW cross-shore, which will keep things clean with just a slight cross-chop. This is expert-level stuff, but for those with the nerve, it's going to be epic.

Another proper standout is Thursday morning, August 20th. It's a clear morning with a light 3 mph SSE offshore breeze, making for glassy conditions. The swell is 8 ft from the SW with a 14-second period, and the combined energy is a hefty 2155. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers.

Now, let's walk through the rest. The early part of the outlook is decent. After Thursday morning, the afternoon gets a bit bumpier with a 9 mph cross-off wind, but it's still clean. Friday, August 21st, turns onshore and choppy, so it's a write-off. Saturday and Sunday are poor, with onshore winds and messy conditions. Sunday, August 23rd, sees a big jump in size, with a 12 ft swell on Sunday afternoon, but it's onshore and lumpy, so it's a right-off for paddle surfing.

A big gap opens up after Monday, August 24th. Tuesday, August 25th, has a massive 10 ft swell, but it's onshore and messy. Wednesday, August 26th, is poor with onshore winds. Thursday, August 27th, is choppy and lumpy. Friday, August 28th, is a bit of a recovery with a smaller 6 ft swell and some cross-off wind, but it's still a bit lumpy. Saturday, August 29th, cleans up nicely with a 8 ft swell and cross-off winds, making for decent conditions.

For the second week, the outlook is more promising. Sunday, August 30th is a gem: a 5 ft swell from the WSW with a very long 18-second period, light 6 mph ESE cross-off winds, and clean conditions. The combined energy (1990) is strong enough to be interesting. Then Monday, August 31st morning offers another solid 8 ft swell from the SW with a 15-second period, light cross-off winds, and clean surf. Tuesday, September 1st, stays clean and consistent with 7 ft swell. Wednesday, September 2nd, is still clean with 5 ft swell. The energy drops off towards the end of the week, with Thursday, September 3rd, having a smaller 4 ft swell and Friday, September 4th, seeing a shift in direction to NW with a shorter period, leaving things a bit weaker.

So, the overall story is: there's good surf around, but you have to pick your windows. The standout is the Monday afternoon, August 24th session for the big, long-period swell, and the Saturday, August 29th and Sunday, August 30th sessions for cleaner, more manageable conditions.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat morning, min 9°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Sun morning, min 11°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Sun morning, light winds from the SW by Mon night).

Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
4
3
2
1
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
4
7
5
3
3
2
2
0
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2.3
SW
14
2
WSW
14
1.9
WSW
13
1.7
WSW
13
1.5
WSW
14
1.5
WSW
14
1.4
WSW
14
0.9
WSW
14
1.6
W
7
3
W
8
3.5
W
10
3
WSW
12
3.5
WSW
14
4
WSW
16
3.5
WSW
15
3
WSW
15
3
WSW
15
2.4
WSW
14
2.2
WSW
14
2.2
WSW
14
2.5
WSW
14
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
2155
1598
1253
1061
833
934
752
318
226
1071
2441
2241
4610
8289
5789
4347
3601
2280
1826
1774
2453
Wind (km/h)
5
SSE
10
SW
15
WSW
15
WSW
15
WSW
20
W
15
W
20
NW
25
NW
35
NW
35
WNW
25
WSW
20
SW
20
SW
10
SW
10
W
15
W
10
NW
15
NNW
20
NW
10
NNW
Wind State
off
cross
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
on
on
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
on
cross-on
High Tide
2:41PM2.23m
3:02AM2.12m
3:45PM2.11m
4:12AM2.00m
5:03PM2.07m
5:34AM1.99m
6:19PM2.13m
6:44AM2.08m
7:17PM2.27m
7:37AM2.23m
8:03PM2.43m
8:20AM2.38m
8:42PM2.60m
Low Tide
9:01PM0.85m
9:28AM0.83m
10:08PM0.97m
10:37AM0.91m
11:24PM0.99m
11:51AM0.89m
00:34AM0.91m
12:54PM0.78m
1:30AM0.77m
1:44PM0.63m
2:14AM0.60m
2:25PM0.47m
2:52AM0.43m
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:00
6:58
6:56
6:56
6:54
6:52
6:52
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:51
5:52
5:52
5:53
5:53
5:54
5:55
 mm
3
Temp °C
11
13
13
13
13
13
14
13
13
14
14
14
14
14
13
13
13
13
13
14
14
Feels °C
8
10
10
10
9
9
9
8
9
8
7
9
9
9
10
10
10
11
9
10
13
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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