Piha-The Bar Surf Break

Lat Long: 36.95° S 174.47° E

Piha-The Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 am 31 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Piha-The Bar sea temperature is
14.1°C
0.0° 

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 30 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 14s period, WSW swell with cross-shore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 1 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 14s period, SW swell with 9,746 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 5.0m and 14s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-shore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Piha-The Bar in the next 16 days are 5.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 6AM. 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+)12AM (Tue 1st Sep)16ft (5.0m) 14s
Best Surf12AM (Tue 1st Sep)16ft (5.0m) 14s
Most Powerful 6AM (Tue 1st Sep)16ft (5.0m) 14s

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


The Lowdown

G'day, Rusty here. Looks like the next couple of weeks are shaping up for a serious run of solid groundswell, but it's gonna take a patient crew to unlock the good ones. The main story is the size: we're talking a whole lot of swell overhead and a lot bigger, which means this is expert territory for most of the run. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no wetsuit surprises there.

The first week is a write-off, honestly. From Monday 31st of August right through to Wednesday 9th of September, we've got a relentless barrage of big, messy, wind-affected swell at Piha-The-Bar. The combined energy is massive – we're seeing values in the thousands (6545, 8645, 9853) – but the wind is just ruining it. Fresh to strong cross-onshore and cross-shore winds are making it lumpy, choppy, and bloody awful. The swell is consistently between 10 ft and 16 ft, which is way too big for beginners, and with that short period windswell energy, it's just a washing machine. Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th of September have a brief window of onshore winds, but the surf quality is still poor. There's a tiny glimmer on Saturday 5th of September with light winds and a 10 ft to 12 ft WSW swell (period 15 seconds), but it's still only rated as marginal due to tide. The following days see the size climb again, with a massive 20 ft swell on Monday 7th September (combined energy over 20000) – that's just a heavy, dangerous beast for the few who can handle it.

Now, the good news. The pattern shifts significantly from Thursday 11th September onwards. The swell direction swings more consistently SW, and the wind finally turns cross-shore, which is a huge improvement. The size is still solid – 10 ft to 16 ft (moderate to strong energy, over 7000) – but the wind is lighter, and the period is long (17 to 19 seconds), meaning proper groundswell lines. For the experienced crew, this is where it gets interesting. The morning of Friday 12th September is a standout: a 15 ft SW swell with a 17-second period and moderate cross-shore wind. The combined energy is a massive 11766, and the wind is clean. It's a big, powerful swell, but the conditions are right for a serious session for those who know the bar. The afternoon is similar at 16 ft, also looking good.

Heading into the second week, the swell stays in the 10 ft to 13 ft range with clean cross-shore winds. Sunday 13th and Monday 14th September are both solid with moderate winds, but the real gem might be the very last day, Tuesday 15th September. The morning sees an 8 ft WSW groundswell with a 14-second period, light winds, and glassy conditions. The combined energy is 4056 – moderate, but the conditions are described as "excellent" for experienced surfers. That's a window of opportunity for a clean, powerful session on the bar.

So, the best on offer is Saturday 12th September for the big, powerful groundswell with clean cross-shore winds, and Tuesday 15th September for the most user-friendly conditions in the whole period. Keep your eyes on those long-range dates, because the forecast is promising but not locked in yet.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Mon morning, min 13°C on Mon afternoon). Mainly strong winds.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri afternoon, min 10°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Fri morning, light winds from the WNW by Sat afternoon).

Monday
31
Tuesday
1
Wednesday
2
Thursday
3
Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
!
!
!
6
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
3
3
3
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
4.5
WSW
13
4.5
WSW
14
5
WSW
14
5
SW
14
4.5
SW
14
3.5
SW
14
3
WSW
14
3
WSW
13
2.5
WSW
13
2.5
WSW
14
2
WSW
12
2.2
WSW
11
3
WSW
14
4
W
10
3
WSW
15
3
WSW
14
3.5
WSW
14
3.5
WSW
14
3.5
WSW
16
3
WSW
16
3.5
WSW
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
6545
8526
9126
9516
8471
5465
3638
2993
2535
2292
1069
1071
2827
2783
3258
4228
4834
4824
5205
4295
6786
Wind (km/h)
35
WSW
40
WSW
35
WSW
35
SW
30
SW
25
WSW
25
WSW
20
W
25
W
20
WNW
25
WNW
25
NW
35
NW
30
WNW
15
SW
15
WSW
10
W
10
N
25
NNW
35
NW
35
W
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
on
on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
High Tide
11:18AM2.81m
11:33PM2.88m
11:56AM2.77m
00:11AM2.79m
12:37PM2.69m
00:54AM2.65m
1:24PM2.56m
1:45AM2.47m
2:21PM2.42m
2:49AM2.31m
3:35PM2.32m
4:12AM2.21m
5:03PM2.33m
Low Tide
5:27PM0.14m
5:50AM0.09m
6:07PM0.22m
6:30AM0.19m
6:51PM0.34m
7:16AM0.33m
7:43PM0.49m
8:11AM0.49m
8:46PM0.64m
9:18AM0.62m
10:03PM0.73m
10:37AM0.66m
11:26PM0.69m
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
light rain
rain showers
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:45
6:43
6:41
6:39
6:39
6:37
6:35
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:00
6:00
6:01
6:01
6:02
6:04
6:05
 mm
1
2
1
4
Temp °C
14
14
13
13
13
14
14
14
14
15
15
14
15
16
13
14
14
12
15
16
15
Feels °C
8
7
6
6
7
10
9
10
9
11
11
10
9
11
9
11
11
10
11
11
10
  • 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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