Surf Forecasts:
Sponge bay surf forecast from 3 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 5 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 8s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 8 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, SSW swell with 1,670 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 5 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 8s 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 Saturday (Sep 05) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 15s. 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 3.0m 9s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 05) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12PM (Sat 5th Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Sat 5th Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Sponge bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's take a look at what Sponge Bay has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.
It’s a pretty quiet start, honestly. The forecast is looking a bit flat and uninspiring for the first few days. We’ve got tiny waves and cross-off winds from the NNW keeping things clean but small. The energy is weak, with combined energy readings sitting between 28 and 81 (moderate wave energy), and the swell heights are barely breaking 2ft. Not much to get excited about for a paddle.
We hit a bit of a rough patch on September 8th. The swell jumps up to 10ft from the SSW, but it’s coming in with a short period of 9 seconds and a strong cross-onshore wind from the WSW at 22 mph. The combined energy spikes to 2192 (strong to very strong wave energy), but the conditions are a mess. This is more of a kite-surfing kind of day than a proper paddle session. The water temp is about average for this time of year.
Things start to settle down from September 12th. That Saturday morning brings a clean 3ft swell from the SSE with a nice 13-second period and a gentle cross-off breeze from the NW. The combined energy is 470 (moderate wave energy), and it’s looking like a solid, clean option. The afternoon cleans up even more, with a 4ft SSE swell, an 11-second period, and a light cross-off wind. The waves are small but clean, and the break is fairly consistent, so if you’re a beginner, this is your window.
September 13th and 14th get messy again. Strong onshore winds from the SSW and SW, with swell over 6ft, making it choppy and lumpy. The water temp is still about average.
Now, the standout for the whole forecast is September 15th. Tuesday morning, the wind goes glassy, dead calm. The swell is a modest 3ft from the SSE with an 11-second period, and the combined energy is 155 (moderate wave energy). It’s small, but when it’s glassy, Sponge Bay can be a real treat. This is the best on offer for the whole run. The break is fairly consistent, but crowds can be possible, so get out there early.
September 17th shows a decent 4ft to 4ft SSE swell with a clean cross-off wind, but the afternoon is marginal for tide. The combined energy is 274 to 441 (moderate wave energy), so it’s worth a look if you’re flexible.
After that, it trails off into small, clean conditions again, but nothing special. September 19th has a tiny 1ft SSE swell with a light offshore wind from the north, but it’s just not enough power to get going.
Overall, if you’re after a clean, small wave session, aim for the 12th or the 15th. The 15th is your best bet with that glassy morning. The rest of the window is a mix of flat spells and blown-out swell.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri morning, min 8°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon morning, min 9°C on Tue night). Mainly strong winds. | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | ||||||||||||||
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 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | S 11 | SSE 17 | SSE 17 | SSE 16 | S 16 | SSW 6 | SSW 9 | S 9 | S 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 158 | 79 | 41 | 18 | 22 | 53 | 25 | 63 | 59 | 99 | 26 | 20 | 231 | 1670 | 753 | 516 | 133 | 102 | 38 |
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 | off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 3:33AM1.75m | 4:11PM1.86m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 9:47AM0.55m | 10:31PM0.62m | |||||||
 |  | | |  | | | | |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 |
Feels °C | 11 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | S 11 | SSE 9 | SSE 17 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | S 7 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 |
| kJ | 158 | 79 | 41 | 18 | 22 | 53 | 25 | 63 | 16 | 99 | 2 | 2 | 150 | 517 | 372 | 254 | 133 | 102 | 38 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 10 | S 18 | S 16 | S 15 | S 15 | ENE 4 | S 18 | SSE 17 | E 10 | SSE 16 | S 16 | S 15 | E 16 | E 16 | E 15 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 4 |
| kJ | 2 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 59 | 2 | 26 | 20 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | — | E 10 | NE 4 | E 10 | E 10 | S 14 | E 10 | S 11 | NE 10 | SSE 11 | S 9 | NE 5 | NE 16 | E 16 | — | E 15 | E 15 | ENE 8 |
| kJ | 4 | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 5 | — | 4 | 4 | 6 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 2 | — | NW 2 | — | — | ENE 2 | — | — | — | — | NNE 7 | — | SSW 6 | SSW 9 | S 9 | S 8 | — | — | N 4 |
| kJ | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 33 | — | 231 | 1670 | 753 | 516 | — | — | 9 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 3 | 1 | 3 | 37 | 36 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 19 | 42 | 68 | 122 | 53 | 3 | 44 | 3 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gisborne and Mahia | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||
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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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