
Surf Forecasts:
Piha-The Bar surf forecast from 4 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 11 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 11s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 11 Sep, 3PM (local time) - 26ft (8.0m), 19s period, WSW swell with 43,921 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 9 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 9s 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 Wednesday (Sep 09) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 21s. 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 8.0m 19s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 11) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Wed 9th Sep) | 7ft (2.1m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Fri 11th Sep) | 16ft (5.0m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Fri 11th Sep) | 26ft (8.0m) 19s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Piha-The Bar over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, it's Rusty here, and I'm looking at a pretty full-on window ahead for Piha. We've got a real mix of conditions coming our way, but you've got to be patient – the first week is a write-off for any decent surfing, with messy, gutless or dangerous conditions dominating through to around the 10th of September. There's a flash of incredible potential mid-month, but it comes with a huge caveat.
The early part of the outlook, starting from the 4th of September, is just plain ugly. On Friday morning, we've got a solid 8 ft WSW swell, but it's hammered by a 19 mph onshore NW wind. The combined energy is moderate at 3178, but with that wind, it's just a washing machine. Forget it. Saturday morning shows a slight improvement with an 12 ft WSW swell (5021 energy) and a cross-shore wind, but the quality is still marginal at best. Sunday and Monday see the swell jumping between 10 ft and 12 ft, but with onshore and cross-onshore winds up to 19 mph, the surface is going to be horrendous – lumpy and choppy. Tuesday the 8th and Wednesday the 9th offer some relief with smaller 5 ft to 7 ft WSW swells, but cross-onshore winds still ruin the face. The energy drops right down to 1087 by Wednesday afternoon, so it's weak and messy. Thursday the 10th is more of the same: small, onshore-influenced slop.
Now, here’s where it gets wild. On Friday the 11th of September, a massive groundswell arrives. We’re looking at a 23 ft WSW swell with a very long 20-second period – that’s serious energy, clocking in at a whopping 35681. The wind is forecast to be a clean, cross-off SSW breeze at 19 mph, creating perfect conditions. For an expert surfer, this is the stuff of legend, but you have to read the fine print: the report flags it as too big for this break. With size over 8 ft, it's strictly for experts only. This monster is more suited to a reef or point, not the exposed beach break. Saturday the 12th is still huge at 20 ft (19380 energy) but the wind goes cross-shore, adding chop, so it's for the brave and skilled only. Sunday the 13th drops to a still-considerable 13 ft (11269 energy), but cross-shore winds keep it lumpy. The standout session here is undoubtedly the Friday morning 11th – clean, 23 ft, 20-second groundswell. If you can handle it, and you know the bar like the back of your hand, you might score the wave of your life. Otherwise, it's a death wish.
After that peak, the second week from the 15th sees the swell settle. The water temp is sitting around 57°F, which is about normal for the time of year. Tuesday the 15th looks promising: a clean 10 ft SW swell (4101 energy) with a cross-off S wind at 19 mph. Not huge, but clean and with a bit of punch. Wednesday the 16th is a no-go with onshore winds wrecking the 7 ft SW swell. From Thursday the 17th onwards, the energy drops right out, down to 531, with strong, messy cross-shore winds, and the period shortens. It's a flat, choppy end to the run. The sole real standout in this entire 16-day window is the Friday morning 11th, but only if you're an expert ready for a serious challenge.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri morning, min 13°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Fri afternoon, light winds from the WNW by Sat night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Mon morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon morning, min 12°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | |||||||||||||||
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 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 16 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | W 11 | WSW 10 | WSW 11 | SW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
3075 | 4543 | 4774 | 4822 | 5875 | 6105 | 6432 | 6681 | 4543 | 3717 | 3241 | 1848 | 1470 | 2770 | 939 | 838 | 671 | 1573 | 1500 | 1689 | 2962 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross | cross | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 7:52AM2.57m | 8:15PM2.83m | 8:39AM2.73m | 9:00PM2.96m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 1:58PM0.25m | 2:30AM0.15m | 2:46PM0.11m | |||||||||
6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | |
— | 6:02 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | |
mm | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
Feels °C | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 14 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 16 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | — | WSW 10 | WSW 11 | SW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 18 | WSW 17 | WSW 21 |
3075 | 4543 | 4774 | 4822 | 5875 | 6105 | 6432 | 6681 | 4543 | 3717 | 3241 | 1848 | 1470 | — | 939 | 838 | 671 | 1573 | 553 | 608 | 2073 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | WNW 9 | — | — | — | — | WNW 7 | — | W 9 | WNW 9 | W 11 | — | WSW 12 | NW 8 | W 14 | WSW 19 | SW 26 | SW 24 | WSW 16 |
— | — | — | 199 | — | — | — | — | 243 | — | 372 | 389 | 22 | — | 383 | 31 | 508 | 475 | 27 | 147 | 808 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 22 | SW 21 | WNW 8 | — | SW 26 | — | SW 13 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 47 | 218 | 51 | — | 27 | — | 142 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 6 | NW 7 | — | — | WNW 9 | — | — | — | — | NW 8 | WNW 8 | — | WNW 10 | W 11 | — | — | — | — | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 |
103 | 331 | — | — | 218 | — | — | — | — | 589 | 524 | — | 741 | 2770 | — | — | — | — | 1500 | 1689 | 2962 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 340 | 340 | 124 | 231 | 231 | 339 | 289 | 363 | 121 | 314 | 228 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 73 | 101 | 85 | 127 | 85 | 85 | 73 |
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.










