Surf Forecasts:
Sponge bay surf forecast from 27 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 31 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 9s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 1 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s period, SSW swell with 2,287 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 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 Friday (Aug 28) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Sponge bay in the next 16 days are 3.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 6s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Mon 31st Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Sponge bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let me walk you through what’s happening at Sponge Bay for the next couple of weeks. It starts a bit slow, but there’s a couple of sweet spots worth getting wet for.
We’re looking at Friday the 28th of August first. The morning brings a clean 4ft swell from the SSE with a 14-second period – that’s real groundswell with good energy (532). Wind is a light offshore out of the NNE, so it’s tidy. Water temp is about normal for the season, nothing unusual. Afternoon drops to 3ft but stays clean.
Saturday the 29th goes small: only 2ft from the SE with a 12-second period. It’s surfable but nothing special. Wind stays light. Sunday the 30th is even smaller at 2ft to 2ft, glassy in the morning, but the energy is weak (78). Afternoon is 2ft. A quiet couple of days.
Monday the 31st of August is a mixed bag. The morning jumps to 7ft from the SSW with a 9-second period – lots of energy (1082) but the wind is cross-shore and there’s some chop. The afternoon is the real gem: wind goes glassy calm, swell settles to 4ft from the SSE with a 14-second period and energy of 819. That’s clean, powerful, and the best session of the first week.
Tuesday the 1st of September gets ugly. Morning has 10ft from the SSW with onshore wind – big and messy, only for the brave. Afternoon drops to 6ft but it’s choppy. Skip it.
Wednesday the 2nd of September offers 5ft from the SSE, cross-off wind, clean but marginal. Thursday the 3rd is smaller at 3ft. From Friday the 4th through Monday the 7th, it’s tiny – mostly 1ft to 2ft, clean but barely worth paddling out. That’s a long flat spell.
Into the second week, Tuesday the 8th of September has a 6ft swell, but it’s a short-period windswell (6 seconds) with fresh breeze – no good. The big standout is Wednesday the 9th of September. The morning is glassy with a solid 8ft swell from the S, 9-second period, and huge energy (1508). That’s powerful, clean, and for experienced surfers only. Afternoon holds 8ft but the wind turns cross-off – still good, but morning is king. After that, Thursday the 10th drops to 4ft from the SE, then it fades back to 2ft for the rest of the week.
So, the absolute best on offer: Monday afternoon the 31st of August for glassy, clean groundswell. The second standout is Wednesday morning the 9th of September – bigger and glassy, but that one’s for the experts. Sponge Bay can get a few heads out there, so keep an eye on the crowd.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri afternoon, min 10°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Wed morning, min 6°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | ||||||||||||||
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 16 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SSW 9 | SSE 14 | SSE 12 | SSW 12 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 679 | 508 | 299 | 193 | 110 | 106 | 60 | 57 | 43 | 27 | 692 | 519 | 934 | 2287 | 949 | 853 | 579 | 436 | 440 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | glassy | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:03AM1.79m | 6:32PM1.89m | 6:45AM1.86m | 7:10PM1.96m | 7:25AM1.92m | 7:46PM2.01m | 8:06AM1.96m | 8:24PM2.02m | 8:46AM1.99m | 9:04PM2.02m | 9:29AM2.00m | 9:48PM1.98m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:02AM0.73m | 12:10PM0.65m | 00:46AM0.66m | 12:50PM0.58m | 1:26AM0.59m | 1:30PM0.53m | 2:04AM0.52m | 2:10PM0.50m | 2:42AM0.47m | 2:52PM0.48m | 3:22AM0.44m | 3:36PM0.48m | |||||||
 |  |  | | |  |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 11 | 16 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 15 | 15 | 12 |
Feels °C | 7 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 12 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 16 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 12 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 |
| kJ | 679 | 508 | 299 | 193 | 110 | 106 | 60 | 57 | 21 | 28 | 293 | 300 | 934 | 653 | 949 | 853 | 579 | 436 | 440 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 7 | ESE 12 | ENE 5 | NE 5 | NE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SSE 17 | SSE 14 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | NE 10 | NE 9 | NE 9 | SSE 16 | E 10 |
| kJ | 54 | 14 | 17 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 14 | 43 | 27 | 97 | 519 | 9 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 147 | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 10 | SE 16 | SE 15 | NE 9 | ESE 14 | SE 13 | SSE 15 | SE 12 | S 4 | S 5 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | SE 11 | — | — | S 21 | SE 11 | NE 9 | SE 11 |
| kJ | 4 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 18 | 26 | 22 | 21 | 3 | 4 | 15 | 8 | 5 | — | — | 9 | 5 | 3 | 5 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 3 | NNE 4 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | — | — | — | SSW 9 | — | — | SSW 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 9 | 12 | 47 | 22 | 42 | 43 | 82 | — | — | — | 692 | — | — | 2287 | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 79 | 68 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 3 |
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.
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