
Surf Forecasts:
Piha-The Bar surf forecast from 5 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 11 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 21ft (6.5m), 18s period, WSW swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 11 Sep, 3PM (local time) - 21ft (6.5m), 19s period, WSW swell with 28,866 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 7 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 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 Monday (Sep 07) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.4m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 1.8m 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 6.5m 19s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 11) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 8ft (2.4m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Fri 11th Sep) | 21ft (6.5m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Fri 11th Sep) | 21ft (6.5m) 19s |
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. This is a stretch that’s going to be dominated by a big, powerful, and very long-period WSW swell, but it’s a tricky one. The swell is just straight-up too big for most of the window, especially for a powerful, exposed beach break like Piha. We’re looking at a solid run of huge surf, so don’t even think about it unless you’re an expert and you know this break inside out.
The first decent call comes on the morning of Tuesday the 8th. The swell has eased a bit to 10 ft from the WSW, with a period of 12 seconds, but the big news is the wind. It’s dead glassy, calm, with a southerly offshore. That’s going to make it clean as a whistle. The wave energy is still strong (2891), but it’s a much more manageable size than what’s coming. This is an actual window for experienced surfers to get some proper, clean Piha barrels. The water temp is sitting at 58°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.
The surf drops off a touch on Wednesday the 9th morning, with a 5 ft WSW swell, glassy conditions again, but the energy is moderate (983). It’s a smaller, cleaner option, but nothing to write home about. The rest of the first week is a write-off for quality surfing, with increasing onshore winds and choppy conditions.
Now, the real story here is the second week. From Friday the 11th and right through to the end of the outlook, we’re looking at a massive pulse of near-20 ft to 26 ft groundswell from the WSW. The period is long, 16 to 19 seconds, and the combined energy readings are off the charts (14212 to 31225) – that’s serious, powerful ocean. The wind is often cross or cross-on, making it a messy, dangerous, and gigantic mess. For a beach break, this is going to be a washing machine. There are a few windows around the 18th and 19th of September where the wind goes clean, even glassy, but the swell is still at 20 ft to 26 ft. That’s extreme, expert-only territory, and even then, it’s a gamble. This setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. There’s a gap of several days in the middle of the second week where the size is so big it’s a no-go for anyone.
Overall, the standout is Tuesday morning the 8th. That’s your best bet for a clean, powerful, but doable session. The huge swell late in the period is a spectacle, but not a realistic option for most.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Mon morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun night, min 11°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Thu morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, strong winds from the SW by Thu night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | ||||||||||||||
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 16 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 9 | WSW 13 | WSW 19 | WSW 18 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
5875 | 6105 | 6432 | 6987 | 4819 | 3837 | 3576 | 1848 | 2513 | 1462 | 1000 | 698 | 1451 | 1247 | 1433 | 1689 | 3515 | 14212 | 28866 | 20763 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 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 | 9:22AM2.85m | 9:40PM3.03m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 3:14AM0.02m | 3:29PM0.02m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | |
6:04 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:08 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | 5 | — | 1 | 2 |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 13 |
Feels °C | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 16 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 18 | WSW 17 | WSW 20 | — | — | — |
5875 | 6105 | 6432 | 6987 | 4819 | 3837 | 3576 | 1848 | 2513 | 1462 | 1000 | 698 | 1451 | 1247 | 547 | 608 | 840 | — | — | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 10 | NW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 8 | WSW 21 | WSW 19 | SW 26 | SW 24 | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 732 | 686 | 275 | 198 | 151 | 67 | 286 | 475 | 26 | 142 | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 10 | — | SSW 7 | WSW 22 | SW 21 | — | — | W 26 | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 34 | — | 11 | 47 | 218 | — | — | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | — | — | — | NW 7 | WNW 8 | — | — | SSW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 9 | WSW 13 | WSW 19 | WSW 18 |
218 | — | — | — | 456 | 987 | — | — | 103 | — | — | — | — | — | 1433 | 1689 | 3515 | 14212 | 28866 | 20763 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 231 | 325 | 325 | 363 | 325 | 44 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 73 | 0 | 0 | 125 | 122 | 98 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 342 | 169 |
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.










