
Surf Forecasts:
Sponge bay surf forecast from 2 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 8 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 11s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 10s period, S swell with 1,102 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 3 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 14s period with SSE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Sponge bay this week:
The surf forecast for Sponge bay over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 03) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Sponge bay in the next 16 days are 2.4m 10s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 7s period and expected on Monday (Sep 07) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 9PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 8ft (2.4m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Sponge bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at what’s on offer for Sponge Bay over the next couple of weeks. First things first, the water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing weird going on there. Sponge Bay is a beach and reef setup, beginner-friendly, and it picks up swell from the SSE pretty well. The overall pattern? It’s pretty grim for a while, a few windows pop up, and then there’s one massive, almost overwhelming day that will get your attention.
We kick off with the first bit of hope on Thursday, September 3rd. Morning sees a 4 ft SSE swell rolling in with a solid 13-second period, cross-off wind from the NW, and the wave energy is sitting at 506 (moderate). It’s clean but the call is marginal on the tide. The afternoon drops a little to 3 ft, same direction and period, lighter NW wind, and the energy eases to 318. It’s still clean and the conditions are good, but it’s not going to blow anyone away. This is the best we’ve got for the first few days.
Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th are a write-off. Swell drops way down to 2 ft and 1 ft, wind is cross-off but stronger, and the energy is pitiful – under 100. Sunday the 6th isn’t much better, although the afternoon has a weirdly long 17-second period on a tiny 1 ft SSE swell and offshore wind, so you get a rare clean bump. It’s surfable but very ordinary.
Monday the 7th is a mess. A rain shower, strong cross-onshore wind from the SSW at 30 km/h, short period wind swell. Just no.
Now we get a little spark. Tuesday morning, September 8th. The swell bumps back up to 5 ft from the SSE, 11-second period, and the wind is offshore from the N at 15 km/h. The wave energy jumps to 491 (moderate), and it’s clean with an offshore breeze. This is a genuine window for a beginner session. The afternoon holds at 4 ft but the wind shifts cross-off, so it’s still rideable.
Wednesday the 9th and Thursday the 10th are basically flat and not worth paddling out. Friday the 11th sees a jump in size – 5 ft in the morning, but with a strong WSW cross-onshore wind at 25 km/h, making it choppy. The afternoon gets bigger, 5 ft, but comes straight onshore from the SSE, which is not ideal for shape. Too rough.
Saturday the 12th is our next real standout. Morning session: 5 ft SSE swell, 11-second period, offshore wind from the NNW at just 10 km/h. The wave energy is 541 (moderate), the conditions are clean, and the wind is light. This is about as clean as Sponge Bay gets for a solid head-high wave. The afternoon is still 5 ft but the wind goes cross-shore, so the morning is the pick.
And then we hit the big one. Sunday, September 13th. Morning shows a 10 ft swell from the S, with a 13-second period. The wave energy is 3538 (very strong). The wind is light offshore from the NNW. This is huge for Sponge Bay. The wind is perfect, the swell is there, but the note on this one says it’s predicted to be too big for this break. At over 8 ft, this is strictly expert territory only, way too big for beginners. The afternoon drops to 6 ft, but that’s still a heavy wave for a spot that’s usually mellow.
After that, it fades fast. Monday the 14th drops to 3 ft, and the following days are back to small, weak, and often choppy. Tuesday the 15th has a 5 ft pulse but with moderate wind, and it’s not clean enough to recommend. The rest of the run into mid-September is small, period drops off, and the wind is onshore or cross-off from the WSW, making it lumpy. Not worth the drive.
So, the honest take: The best on offer is Saturday morning, September 12th. That 5 ft SSE groundswell with a light offshore breeze will give you clean, fun waves that are right in the beginner sweet spot. If you’re an expert and want a challenge, Sunday morning September 13th has the size and the wind, but it’s a bit of a beast for the bay. The rest of the 16-day run is mostly flat or messy, with a gap of poor days between the 13th and the 18th. Don’t expect much after that big pulse.
Stay stoked,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu afternoon, min 9°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun night, min 8°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 15 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 17 | SSE 17 | SSE 16 | S 6 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SE 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
1091 | 499 | 312 | 158 | 79 | 41 | 9 | 58 | 59 | 26 | 58 | 57 | 57 | 26 | 66 | 724 | 486 | 334 | 248 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:48PM1.98m | 10:14AM1.99m | 10:35PM1.94m | 11:03AM1.96m | 11:23PM1.89m | 11:55AM1.92m | 00:14AM1.84m | 12:49PM1.88m | 1:09AM1.78m | 1:45PM1.84m | 2:13AM1.74m | 2:51PM1.83m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:05AM0.44m | 4:22PM0.50m | 4:53AM0.45m | 5:11PM0.54m | 5:44AM0.47m | 6:05PM0.58m | 6:37AM0.51m | 7:03PM0.63m | 7:32AM0.54m | 8:06PM0.66m | 8:34AM0.56m | 9:17PM0.66m | |||||||
— | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 18 | 19 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 10 | 10 | 16 | 17 | 11 |
Feels °C | 10 | 15 | 15 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 13 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 15 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 17 | ENE 5 | S 9 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SE 10 |
1091 | 499 | 312 | 158 | 79 | 41 | 9 | 58 | 59 | 26 | 58 | 26 | 57 | 3 | 7 | 724 | 486 | 334 | 248 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SSW 5 | S 15 | S 15 | ENE 4 | — | SSE 17 | NE 4 | SSE 16 | NE 6 | NNE 10 | E 16 | NNE 5 | NE 7 |
14 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | — | 57 | 3 | 26 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 7 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | SE 12 | SE 10 | — | — | — | S 16 | E 10 | E 10 | S 15 | S 18 | E 10 | ENE 8 | S 11 | S 16 | NNE 10 | — | E 16 | NE 15 |
5 | 5 | 4 | — | — | — | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 20 | 9 | — | 5 | 9 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | NW 2 | — | WNW 2 | NE 2 | — | NNW 2 | — | NNE 7 | — | S 6 | — | NNE 8 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 114 | — | 66 | — | 11 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 113 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 115 | 19 | 68 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gisborne and Mahia | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Sponge bay Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Sponge bay provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Sponge bay can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Sponge bay 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 (Sponge bay) 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 Sponge bay 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 Sponge bay, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Gisborne and Mahia, consider staying in Gisborne which is 8 km (5 miles) away.










