
Surf Forecasts:
Piha-The Bar surf forecast from 3 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 7 Sep, 3PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 15s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 16s period, WSW swell with 9,790 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 7 Sep, 3PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 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 (Sep 07) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 1.4m 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 4.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 3PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Thu 10th Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 16s |
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-The-Bar.
First up, the water temp is sitting at 58°, which is right around average for this time of year—nothing unusual. The big story for the next week or so is that we’ve got a *lot* of swell energy rolling in, but the wind is the villain most days. There’s solid, heavy groundswell with periods consistently between 14 and 17 seconds, but that 8ft to 13ft range is going to be messy on the bar because of strong onshore or cross-off winds. A lot of this window is looking more like a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session.
The best bet in the whole 16-day window lands on Monday, the 7th into Tuesday morning, the 8th. Monday afternoon is the standout: the swell holds at 10ft from the WSW, but the wind swings to a light 6 mph cross-off from the east. That’s the only session marked as “excellent” for experienced surfers, with clean conditions (4499 combined energy – that’s strong, solid wave energy). Tuesday morning is the backup, with a light 6 mph cross-on from the west, not quite as clean but still workable for the experienced crew. The long-period groundswell (15 seconds) will produce well-shaped, powerful waves, but the bar might hold them a bit straight with that period—still, the wind will be your friend here.
After that, the middle of the second week (around September 11th to 12th) sees a big jump in size with 18ft to 20ft swell and 25 mph winds. That’s not a paddling day—the combined energy hits 22,707 to 45,185, which is extreme, but the forecast itself says it’s too big for the break. Only for the kamikaze crew, and that’s not a recommendation.
Later in the second week, Thursday the 17th morning looks interesting again: clean, cross-off wind from the SSW at 12 mph, with a 6ft swell from the WSW. That’s a lighter day but period is 18 seconds – that’s a very long groundswell. On the bar, that long period can make things a bit straight, but with offshore wind, it’s worth a look for the experienced surfer who knows the bank. Energy is still moderate at 3729.
Then Friday the 18th is the cleanest session of the whole outlook. The wind turns offshore from the SSE at 6 mph, with a 7ft WSW swell at 15 seconds. That’s another “excellent” call, with clean conditions and only 2184 combined energy—moderate, but the quality will be there. Crowds are sometimes an issue at Piha, and with conditions this good, expect company.
Don’t bother with the days of rain, 19+ mph onshores, or the monster 18ft-plus days. The two true standouts are Monday afternoon the 7th and Friday the 18th morning. Those are your windows.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu morning, min 13°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Fri afternoon, light winds from the WNW by Sat night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 18mm), heaviest on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun afternoon, min 12°C on Mon afternoon). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NNW on Sun night, calm by Mon night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | |||||||||||||||
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 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | W 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 16 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | SW 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1606 | 1601 | 2167 | 3075 | 6892 | 5051 | 4822 | 5875 | 5895 | 6236 | 6479 | 4136 | 4881 | 4060 | 3785 | 2976 | 1993 | 1014 | 789 | 734 | 569 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on |
High Tide | 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 | 7:52AM2.57m | 8:15PM2.83m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 1:58PM0.25m | 2:30AM0.15m | ||||||||
6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | |
— | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:07 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 1 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
Feels °C | 11 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 16 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 12 | WSW 21 | WSW 19 |
1606 | 1601 | 2167 | 3075 | 1230 | 5051 | 4822 | 5875 | 5895 | 6236 | 6479 | 4136 | 4881 | 4060 | 3785 | 2976 | 1993 | 1014 | 789 | 286 | 475 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 16 | — | — | — | WSW 16 | — | WNW 10 | — | — | — | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | W 13 | W 12 | NW 8 | SW 21 | NW 8 | WSW 12 |
330 | — | — | — | 993 | — | 269 | — | — | — | 26 | 622 | 460 | 281 | 178 | 495 | 488 | 16 | 218 | 14 | 117 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 9 | — | NW 8 | — | WSW 22 | NW 8 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 158 | — | 138 | — | 47 | 10 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NW 5 | NW 6 | W 16 | — | — | WNW 9 | — | — | — | WNW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 12 | SW 7 |
— | — | 47 | 97 | 6892 | — | — | 232 | — | — | — | 502 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 734 | 569 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 325 | 339 | 325 | 340 | 340 | 73 | 231 | 231 | 231 | 325 | 8 | 363 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 73 | 122 | 195 | 85 | 146 |
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.










