
Surf Forecasts:
Piha-The Bar surf forecast from 8 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 15 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 10s period, WSW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 15 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 11s period, WSW swell with 4,885 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 9 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 10s period with NW 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 Sunday (Aug 09) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.4m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 15s. 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 11s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 5s period and expected on Friday (Aug 14) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12PM (Sun 9th Aug) | 8ft (2.4m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 15ft (4.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Sat 15th Aug) | 15ft (4.5m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Piha-The Bar over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight up – the next 16 days at Piha-The-Bar are a mixed bag, but there’s a solid window of clean, powerful swell building for the experienced crew. The water’s sitting around 57°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.
The first few days are a slow start. Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th are pretty average – Saturday morning’s got a tiny 2ft WSW swell with a cross-on breeze, and the energy is weak (192). Sunday morning gets a jump to 8ft from the WNW, but the period is a short 9 seconds and the wind is cross-on, making it a messy, marginal call. Sunday afternoon cleans up a bit with a 5ft WSW swell, light offshore wind, and a long 15-second period, but the score’s still only a 3.
Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th stay marginal. Monday morning’s 4ft WSW swell with a 16-second period has some promise but the wind is cross, and the energy is moderate (1149). Tuesday morning is the first real highlight of the week: 4ft from the WSW, 14-second period, and a light cross-off breeze that’s keeping things clean. The energy is decent (874) and the conditions are rated as “very good.” This is your best bet for the early part of the run – a clean, long-period groundswell that’ll hold shape at the bar.
The mid-week gets messy again. Wednesday the 12th drops to 3ft with a strong cross-off wind, and Thursday the 13th is a write-off with a heavy cross-on. But then Friday the 14th morning – this is a standout. Glassy conditions, 8ft from the WNW, a short 9-second period, and massive energy (2302). The comment says it’s excellent for experienced surfers. That’s a big, powerful, clean wave for the early crew. Friday afternoon jumps to 10ft from the WNW, but it’s cross-shore and a bit lumpy.
Now, from Saturday the 15th through to Monday the 17th, the swell is too big for this break. We’re talking 15ft to 13ft of WSW and SW swell with huge energy (4420 up to 10369). The wind is cross or cross-off, but mate, that’s expert-only territory – and even then, it’s borderline dangerous. The comments say “too big for this break.” If you’re a kiter, maybe it’s interesting, but for paddle surfing, stay out.
The real gold comes from Tuesday the 18th onward. Tuesday morning is 8ft from the WSW, 13-second period, moderate energy (2576), and clean cross-off wind. Tuesday afternoon drops to 8ft SW, 13 seconds, with a gentle cross-off – excellent for experienced surfers. Wednesday the 19th holds 8ft SW with a light cross breeze, but Thursday the 20th is the absolute peak: Thursday afternoon brings 8ft from the SW, 15-second period, 4426 energy, and offshore wind. That’s a clean, powerful, long-period groundswell – perfect for the bar. This is the best session on offer.
Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd keep it going with 7ft to 6ft SW swells, 14-15 second periods, and offshore or glassy conditions. Energy stays strong (1456 to 2512). Saturday morning is glassy with 5ft SW – a dream. Sunday the 23rd eases off to 3ft WSW with a 14-second period and glassy conditions, but the energy drops to 726.
Overall, the standout is Thursday the 20th afternoon – 8ft SW, 15-second period, offshore wind, and massive energy. That’s your call. The second best is Tuesday the 18th afternoon for consistent, clean 8ft SW. Crowds are “sometimes” at Piha, so expect a few locals out, but nothing crazy.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Sun morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat night, min 11°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu morning, min 11°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | |||||||||||||||
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 13 | WNW 8 | WSW 18 | WNW 10 | NW 10 | WSW 18 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 19 | WSW 18 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | SW 18 | WSW 16 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | WSW 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
116 | 139 | 390 | 1424 | 880 | 486 | 643 | 1199 | 1010 | 672 | 536 | 572 | 390 | 427 | 387 | 394 | 531 | 886 | 1069 | 1532 | 4173 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross | cross |
High Tide | 5:11PM2.36m | 5:43AM2.31m | 6:28PM2.47m | 6:58AM2.42m | 7:34PM2.65m | 8:00AM2.58m | 8:30PM2.84m | 8:53AM2.73m | 9:19PM3.00m | 9:41AM2.84m | 10:03PM3.09m | 10:25AM2.90m | 10:45PM3.10m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:49AM0.58m | 11:31PM0.66m | 12:03PM0.53m | 00:45AM0.54m | 1:11PM0.40m | 1:50AM0.37m | 2:10PM0.23m | 2:45AM0.18m | 3:02PM0.08m | 3:35AM0.04m | 3:49PM-0.02m | 4:20AM-0.05m | 4:34PM-0.05m | ||||||||
7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | |
— | 5:42 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 12 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
Temp °C | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
Feels °C | 8 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 10 | NW 10 | WSW 14 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 18 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WNW 10 | WSW 13 | WNW 12 | WSW 16 | WNW 10 | — |
34 | 110 | 254 | 1424 | 782 | 467 | 643 | 1199 | 1010 | 672 | 536 | 290 | 390 | 427 | 387 | 214 | 531 | 550 | 832 | 1532 | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 13 | SW 13 | WSW 18 | WSW 19 | WSW 15 | NW 9 | WSW 13 | NW 7 | SW 7 | SW 7 | SW 7 | WSW 19 | WSW 12 | W 13 | W 11 | WSW 14 | W 9 | WSW 16 | WSW 20 | WSW 17 | — |
116 | 79 | 390 | 1111 | 880 | 145 | 336 | 8 | 105 | 79 | 62 | 572 | 131 | 13 | 119 | 394 | 173 | 886 | 339 | 1265 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 19 | WSW 19 | WSW 12 | WSW 19 | — | WSW 18 | WSW 10 | — | NNW 7 | SW 22 | WSW 21 | SW 7 | WSW 6 | — | SE 5 | SW 18 | SW 18 | WSW 22 | W 11 | WSW 18 | — |
35 | 139 | 56 | 332 | — | 486 | 161 | — | 5 | 123 | 294 | 23 | 4 | — | 5 | 269 | 444 | 46 | 62 | 413 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 4 | NNE 3 | N 4 | — | — | — | WSW 4 | SW 8 | — | — | — | ENE 3 | ENE 4 | E 4 | ESE 4 | — | — | NE 3 | WNW 9 | NE 3 | WSW 15 |
7 | 3 | 17 | — | — | — | 9 | 154 | — | — | — | 6 | 13 | 12 | 18 | — | — | 7 | 1069 | 2 | 4173 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 40 | 106 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 44 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 106 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 116 | 1 | 0 | 75 | 85 |
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.











