
Surf Forecasts:
Sponge bay surf forecast from 4 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 4 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 11s period, E swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 11 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 11s period, S swell with 4,803 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 4 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 11s period with E 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 Saturday (Jul 04) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 13s. 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 4.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 11) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.1m 8s period and expected on Monday (Jul 06) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Sat 4th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Sat 4th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Sat 11th Jul) | 15ft (4.5m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Sponge bay over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
G’day, Rusty here. Alright, let’s have a look at what Sponge Bay has cookin’ over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, but there’s definitely some moments worth paddling out for.
We kick things off proper on Saturday, July 4th. The water’s sitting at 56°, which is a bit colder than what we’re used to this time of year – so maybe grab the 4/3. We’ve got a clean 4ft east swell rolling in, with a 12-second period, giving it some decent energy (453). The wind’s a cross-offshore from the NNW in the morning, and shifting to a clean offshore from the NNE by the arvo. It’s a good, honest day of surfing for the beginners, with clean lines and no drama.
Sunday the 5th is still surfable, but the quality dips. The swell drops to 4ft from the east with 10-second intervals. The morning’s okay with a light offshore, but the whole session is a bit ordinary. You’ll get a wave, but it won’t make the highlight reel.
Now, hold on for Monday the 6th. The morning is flat – a tiny 0.3ft swell that’s not worth changing out of your jocks for. The afternoon gets a bit of a pulse back to 4ft, but it’s messy and questionable.
Best of the lot so far: Tuesday, July 7th. Seriously, this is the standout. We’ve got a clean 4ft to 5ft east swell, 10-second period, with a combined energy of 406-442. But the real story is the wind – it’s glassy. Absolutely glassy offshore in the morning and glassy again in the afternoon. This is as clean as Sponge Bay gets. If you’re free, you’re in the water. The crowds are sometimes an issue here, so get in early for the glass.
Wednesday the 8th gets a bit bigger, with 5ft east swell, but the wind swings cross-shore in the morning and then cross-onshore in the arvo. It’s not terrible, but it’s not clean.
Thursday the 9th and Friday the 10th are write-offs. The onshore wind picks up, and by Friday afternoon we’re looking at a 7ft SSE swell with a blasting 31 mph onshore wind. That’s a mess.
Then it gets serious. Saturday July 11th kicks off a solid pulse with a massive 15ft southerly swell (11-second period, energy of 6744), but it’s hammered by a 25 mph southerly onshore. This is not for paddle surfing, fellas. That kind of wind and size at a beach-and-reef setup? That’s kite-surfing territory. Same story through Sunday the 12th: huge 12ft swell with relentless onshore wind. Leave the longboard at home.
Monday July 13th is a bit of a reprieve – still big at 8ft from the south, but the wind goes cross-shore. It’s marginal, but for the experienced crew, there might be a few heavy ones if you can handle it.
Now, for the second week, things settle down. Another real gem shows up on Tuesday, July 14th. The swell drops back to a friendly 4ft from the southeast, period is short at 8 seconds, but the wind goes glassy again – dead calm from the WNW. That’s clean, clean, clean. A great, relaxed morning session.
Wednesday the 15th and Thursday the 16th are small and clean, with waist-high waves. Thursday morning gets a nice 3ft SSE groundswell with a 15-second period and light offshore wind, giving it a bit more energy (511). The longer period will make it a little walled at a beach break, but it’ll still be fun.
The final few days from Friday July 17th onward drop right off. We’re looking at tiny 0.7ft to 1ft waves with wind making it a tough paddle for nothing. The run from the 17th to the 19th is basically dead. No point getting wet.
So, to sum it up: Tuesday July 7th is your absolute best bet – glassy, clean, fun east swell. Tuesday July 14th is your second pick – another glassy morning with friendly waves. The rest is either too small, too windy, or way too big for a normal paddle.
Stay keen, keep your eye on the horizon, and don’t trust a southerly when it’s blowing 31.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Mon night. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat afternoon, min 9°C on Sat morning). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 48mm), heaviest during Thu morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Wed morning, min 9°C on Tue morning). Winds increasing (calm on Tue morning, strong winds from the S by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 4 | Sunday 5 | Monday 6 | Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | S 22 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SSE 9 | SE 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
449 | 344 | 267 | 244 | 202 | 273 | 9 | 264 | 295 | 327 | 371 | 450 | 573 | 544 | 407 | 373 | 471 | 391 | 348 | 651 | 2051 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 9:04AM1.78m | 9:34PM1.87m | 9:47AM1.80m | 10:18PM1.91m | 10:29AM1.82m | 10:59PM1.93m | 11:12AM1.84m | 11:39PM1.94m | 11:56AM1.85m | 00:18AM1.93m | 12:42PM1.87m | 00:59AM1.91m | 1:30PM1.89m | 1:45AM1.89m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:12PM0.65m | 3:52AM0.67m | 3:55PM0.62m | 4:35AM0.64m | 4:37PM0.59m | 5:17AM0.59m | 5:18PM0.57m | 5:59AM0.54m | 6:00PM0.55m | 6:40AM0.49m | 6:45PM0.54m | 7:24AM0.45m | 7:35PM0.54m | ||||||||
7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | |
— | 4:58 | — | — | 4:58 | — | — | 4:59 | — | — | 4:59 | — | — | 5:00 | — | — | 5:00 | — | — | 5:00 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | 3 | 5 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 18 | 15 | 13 | 6 | 9 | 5 |
Temp °C | 12 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 |
Feels °C | 8 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | SE 10 |
449 | 344 | 267 | 244 | 202 | 273 | 245 | 264 | 295 | 327 | 371 | 450 | 573 | 544 | 407 | 373 | 471 | 391 | 348 | 387 | 2051 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 16 | S 16 | S 15 | S 21 | SSE 19 | SSE 10 | SSE 16 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 14 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 16 | S 6 | SSE 18 | S 17 | — |
4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 69 | 21 | 51 | 20 | 16 | 37 | 20 | 20 | 51 | 54 | 63 | 53 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 11 | N 11 | — | S 16 | S 10 | S 16 | S 22 | S 13 | S 12 | SSE 17 | SSE 10 | SSE 16 | SSE 14 | SSW 14 | SSE 13 | SSE 17 | SSW 10 | SSE 14 | S 14 | — | — |
2 | 2 | — | 5 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 4 | 11 | 58 | 20 | 48 | 41 | 62 | 32 | 28 | 19 | 21 | 15 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NE 4 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 7 | — | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | — | — | — | — | SW 3 | — | — | SW 4 | — | S 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 9 | SSE 16 |
— | 28 | 72 | 157 | 178 | — | 572 | 530 | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 10 | — | 95 | 92 | 651 | 53 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 43 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 53 | 118 | 118 | 121 |
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.










