Surf Forecasts:
Pouawa Beach surf forecast from 11 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 11s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 11s period, SSE swell with 4,141 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 12 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s period with SE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Pouawa Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Pouawa Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Pouawa Beach in the next 16 days are 4.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 5.5m 11s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Wed 12th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Pouawa Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, we're looking at a pretty bleak stretch for Pouawa Beach. The first few days are a write-off with tiny, weak swell and rubbish winds. The water temperature is sitting at 56°F, which is a touch cooler than average for this time of year, but nothing too wild.
We've got a real dry spell here. From the start of the forecast through to the 14th, there's just nothing to get excited about – small, short-period slop and cross-shore winds. The 15th looks like it could be a cracker, though. Saturday morning is the standout. We’ve got a 7ft swell pushing in from the ENE, and the wind is going glassy, dead calm. That's a major positive. The combined energy is sitting at 871 (moderate energy), so there'll be some punch. This is the best on offer, by a long shot. It's a fairly consistent break, so you can expect a few waves, but be aware that crowds are possible, especially with conditions like that.
After that, it's back to the doldrums. Sunday the 16th and Monday the 17th are shot with strong southerly winds and no real swell. Tuesday the 18th is a weird one. The morning shows an 12ft swell from the SSE with 3249 energy (strong energy), but the model says it's predicted to be too big for this break. That's expert-only territory, and even then, the cross-shore wind is messy. The afternoon is just as gnarly with strong winds. So, give that a miss.
The rest of the second week is a real struggle. From the 19th to the 26th, we're looking at small, inconsistent pulses, mostly under 3ft, with a mix of cross and offshore winds. The 22nd and 23rd might offer a few clean, tiny waves with offshore winds, but it's pretty ordinary. There's a long period groundswell showing up on the 26th (16 seconds), but it's only 1ft – that's not doing much for anyone.
To be honest, the only real window is Saturday morning the 15th. If you can get out then, you'll be in for a treat. The rest of the 16 days is a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 47mm), heaviest during Fri morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu afternoon, min 9°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, fresh winds from the NE by Fri morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 48mm), heaviest during Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Fri afternoon, min 7°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Fri night, strong winds from the SSW by Sun morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | ||||||||||||||
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) | NE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 8 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | NE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | E 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | S 11 | S 11 | SSE 12 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 7 | 5 | 7 | 677 | 357 | 193 | 97 | 71 | 152 | 172 | 273 | 526 | 243 | 256 | 103 | 62 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 4:13PM1.59m | 4:38AM1.51m | 5:12PM1.63m | 5:37AM1.53m | 6:08PM1.65m | 6:34AM1.54m | 7:03PM1.66m | 7:29AM1.55m | 7:55PM1.65m | 8:22AM1.54m | 8:46PM1.61m | 9:13AM1.52m | 9:35PM1.56m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:31PM0.13m | 10:52AM0.06m | 11:31PM0.09m | 11:51AM0.03m | 00:29AM0.06m | 12:48PM0.02m | 1:24AM0.04m | 1:42PM0.03m | 2:17AM0.03m | 2:35PM0.06m | 3:07AM0.05m | 3:27PM0.10m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  |  | | |  |  | |  |  | |  |  | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — |
 | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | 32 | 30 | 2 | 1 | — | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 2 | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 9 |
Feels °C | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 2 | -1 | -1 | -3 | 0 | 2 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 8 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 8 | E 8 | E 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 275 | 202 | 211 | 677 | 357 | 193 | 97 | 64 | 35 | 68 | 64 | 327 | 243 | 256 | 103 | 62 | 48 | — | — | — |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 7 | S 8 | S 11 | NNE 8 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SE 12 | ESE 13 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 7 | 105 | 63 | 6 | 50 | 48 | 42 | 44 | 28 | 15 | 34 | 18 | 68 | 120 | 58 | 36 | — | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 18 | NNE 7 | NNE 8 | NE 10 | NNE 8 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | SSE 13 | ESE 14 | SSE 9 | S 15 | ESE 13 | SSW 16 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 55 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 8 | 5 | 18 | 51 | 14 | 23 | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | — | — | NE 3 | NNE 8 | NE 4 | NE 4 | NE 5 | NE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | — | — | SSW 7 | SSW 10 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | SSE 12 |
| kJ | 309 | — | — | 3 | 49 | 10 | 20 | 71 | 152 | 172 | 273 | 526 | — | — | 920 | 3184 | 6186 | 6978 | 6724 | 6312 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 54 | 3 | 11 | 55 | 0 | 0 | 55 | 13 | 57 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 112 | 115 | 112 | 116 | 144 | 112 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gisborne and Mahia | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Pouawa Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Pouawa Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Pouawa Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Pouawa Beach 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 (Pouawa Beach) 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 Pouawa Beach 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.
Are you planning a holiday in Gisborne and Mahia? If you are looking for accommodation near Pouawa Beach, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Gisborne and Mahia, consider staying in Gisborne which is 16 km (10 miles) away.
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