
Surf Forecasts:
Piha-The Bar surf forecast from 15 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 18 Sep, 3PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 11s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 21 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 16s period, SW swell with 12,950 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 17 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 14s 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 (Sep 17) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 2.0m and 9s. 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 5.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 21) at 6AM. 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+) | 9PM (Thu 17th Sep) | 7ft (2.1m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 3PM (Fri 18th Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Mon 21st Sep) | 16ft (5.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Piha-The Bar over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a wild 16-day window ahead for Piha-The-Bar, but you’re going to have to be patient and know what you’re doing. The first few days are a write-off with poor conditions, then the swell absolutely detonates, but it gets too big for most of us. The real gem doesn’t show up until the very end of the run, and it’s a cracker.
Alright, looking out now, the first wave of decent, ridable swell doesn’t roll in until Friday the 18th of September. Before that, it’s just messy onshore slop with a few weak waves – not worth paddling out for.
Friday morning the 18th, the south-west groundswell is piling in at 13 ft! The energy is massive (6232), and it’s got that 11-second period. The wind is a fresh south-south-westerly, blowing cross-offshore, so it’s clean. But look, 13 ft at Piha is a beast. It’s only for the absolute experts. By Friday afternoon, it’s even bigger at 15 ft with the same clean cross-off wind – a serious, heavy-water day for chargers only.
Saturday morning the 19th, the swell hangs in at 15 ft from the south-west, period stretching to 15 seconds – that’s a proper long-period groundswell. The wind is a fresh cross-shore westerly, so it’s lumpy but still ridable. Again, this is strictly for the experienced. The energy is off the charts (9569). Saturday afternoon gets messy with rain and cross-onshore wind. Sunday the 20th is similar: massive 18 ft swell, but the wind is a fresh cross-shore, making it a lumpy, shifty mess. The energy readings are in the thousands – it’s pumping, but for nearly a week straight, it’s simply too big for a standard paddle session. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, honestly.
After that, the swell slowly drops, but the wind stays funky. It’s not until Thursday the 24th of September that things turn magic. That morning, a south-east wind of 9 mph is blowing straight offshore. The swell is still a thumping 13 ft from the south-west, with a very long 16-second period. That’s a proper deep ocean groundswell. The energy reading is 7451. This is exceptional surf for experts only – big, clean, and powerful. Thursday afternoon stays clean with the offshore wind, dropping slightly to 12 ft.
Then we get to the standout. Friday morning the 25th of September. The swell has dropped to a much more manageable 8 ft from the south-west, period is a beautiful 15 seconds. The wind is a light south-south-easterly at 6 mph, blowing offshore. It’s clean, it’s glassy, and the energy is still substantial (3297). This is excellent for experienced surfers, and the crowd factor at Piha is “sometimes,” so it could be busy, but with these conditions, it’s worth jostling for a spot. This is the best on offer – a proper window of quality.
Saturday the 26th of September has the water temp at 58°F, which is about average for the time of year. That morning, the wind is a glassy 3 mph easterly – dead calm. The swell is 6 ft from the south-west, 14-second period. That’s a clean, fun size for a good surfer.
The last few days fade out. Monday the 28th and Tuesday the 29th have small, weak swell with cross-shore wind. Not worth the drive unless you’re desperate. Wednesday the 1st of October has onshore wind and poor conditions.
So, to wrap it up: Don’t get excited about the first week – it’s either small and crap, or massive and dangerous. The one true standout is Friday the 25th of September morning, and the Saturday the 26th glass-off is a solid backup. Get in the water then.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 28mm), heaviest during Thu night. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu morning, min 11°C on Wed night). Mainly strong winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat morning, min 12°C on Sun afternoon). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | Monday 21 | Tuesday 22 | |||||||||||||||
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 13 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SW 15 | SW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 10 | WSW 12 | WSW 14 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
867 | 572 | 479 | 871 | 1748 | 2067 | 4157 | 4363 | 5224 | 9569 | 7043 | 6771 | 5877 | 9251 | 10672 | 12150 | 8365 | 5046 | 2655 | 1820 | 1253 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross |
High Tide | 12:29PM2.59m | 00:44AM2.45m | 1:09PM2.42m | 1:26AM2.26m | 1:57PM2.24m | 2:19AM2.08m | 2:59PM2.10m | 3:31AM1.96m | 4:22PM2.04m | 4:59AM1.95m | 5:42PM2.11m | 6:13AM2.06m | 6:42PM2.26m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:44PM0.50m | 7:01AM0.53m | 7:27PM0.69m | 7:46AM0.71m | 8:19PM0.87m | 8:42AM0.87m | 9:27PM0.99m | 9:55AM0.96m | 10:48PM1.01m | 11:14AM0.93m | 00:00AM0.91m | 12:19PM0.81m | 00:56AM0.74m | ||||||||
6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | |
— | 6:13 | — | — | 6:14 | — | — | 6:14 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:17 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 2 | 20 | 6 | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 13 | 14 | 12 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
Feels °C | 10 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | — | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 |
867 | 572 | 479 | 871 | 1748 | 2067 | 2075 | 1766 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12150 | 8365 | — | 2655 | 1820 | 1253 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 20 | SSW 6 | W 6 | — | NW 7 | WNW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
15 | 24 | 30 | — | 128 | 432 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 20 | WSW 18 | WSW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
15 | 32 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WNW 3 | — | NW 5 | — | — | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SW 15 | SW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 10 | WSW 12 | WSW 14 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | — | — | SW 7 |
— | 2 | — | 74 | — | — | 4157 | 4363 | 5224 | 9569 | 7043 | 6771 | 5877 | 9251 | 10672 | 9161 | 7197 | 5046 | — | — | 357 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 231 | 312 | 8 | 325 | 337 | 0 | 101 | 105 | 124 | 159 | 253 | 337 | 211 | 249 | 191 | 231 | 231 | 231 | 325 | 339 | 340 |
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.










