Surf Forecasts:
Sponge bay surf forecast from 30 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period, SSW swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 1 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, SSW swell with 3,840 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period with SSW 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 1.5m and 13s. The wind is predicted to be cross-onshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Sponge bay in the next 16 days are 3.5m 13s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Sponge bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for Sponge Bay over the next couple of weeks.
Alright, it’s a bit of a slow start. For the first few days, we’re looking at pretty ordinary conditions. Nothing really worth paddling out for until we get to Wednesday, the 2nd of September. That’s where things start to get interesting.
The real standout, and the only time I’d get excited, is Wednesday the 2nd. We’ve got a solid SSE groundswell rolling in, with waves around 6ft. The period is a super long 17 seconds, which means long, powerful lines and plenty of energy in the water. The combined swell energy is strong at 2496. The wind is a clean cross-offshore from the WNW, so the waves will be well-shaped and glassy. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. It might be a bit much for the beginners, but for anyone with a bit of skill, this is the window. Keep in mind the swell is coming from the SSE, which is the optimum direction for the spot, so it should wrap in nicely. The water temperature is running about 55°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, so grab a decent wetsuit.
After that, things drop off pretty quickly. Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th see the swell fade and the conditions get messy again. There’s a bit of a gap for a few days.
Then on Sunday the 6th of September, we get a brief window of hope. The morning sees a light offshore wind from the N and a 3ft swell with a 13-second period. The combined energy is moderate at 319. It’s not huge, but it’s clean and surfable, a decent option for a quieter session.
After that, it’s mostly a write-off. Monday the 7th has a pulse of 8ft swell, but it’s a short period, and the wind is howling. By the afternoon, it’s a full-on 12ft with a strong onshore wind, making it a total mess. That’s more of a kite-surfing day than a surf day. The rest of the second week is mostly small, weak, and onshore, with nothing to get you out of bed.
So, to wrap it up: your best bet is Wednesday the 2nd of September. That’s the one. The rest of the period is a whole lot of nothing. Keep your eyes on the forecasts, though, because things can change.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon afternoon, min 7°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Mon afternoon, calm by Tue afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed afternoon, min 9°C on Fri night). Mainly fresh winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SE 10 | SE 10 | SSE 17 | SSE 15 | SSW 13 | S 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 14 | SSE 14 | SSE 17 | SSE 15 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | S 6 | S 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 12 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 28 | 27 | 229 | 696 | 2817 | 2273 | 1125 | 1541 | 994 | 1769 | 983 | 396 | 189 | 79 | 47 | 42 | 17 | 37 | 64 | 75 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | on | 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 |
High Tide | 7:46PM2.01m | 8:06AM1.96m | 8:24PM2.02m | 8:46AM1.99m | 9:04PM2.02m | 9:29AM2.00m | 9:48PM1.98m | 10:14AM1.99m | 10:35PM1.94m | 11:03AM1.96m | 11:23PM1.89m | 11:55AM1.92m | 00:14AM1.84m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:04AM0.52m | 2:10PM0.50m | 2:42AM0.47m | 2:52PM0.48m | 3:22AM0.44m | 3:36PM0.48m | 4:05AM0.44m | 4:22PM0.50m | 4:53AM0.45m | 5:11PM0.54m | 5:44AM0.47m | 6:05PM0.58m | ||||||||
 |  | | |  |  | | | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — |
 | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:47 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 18 | 13 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 12 |
Feels °C | 14 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 13 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | ENE 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 15 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 14 | SSE 14 | SSE 17 | SSE 15 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | S 6 | S 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 |
| kJ | 28 | 28 | 50 | 696 | 713 | 1236 | 1125 | 1541 | 994 | 1769 | 983 | 396 | 189 | 79 | 47 | 42 | 17 | 37 | 64 | 66 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | SE 10 | SSE 17 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | SSE 18 | S 18 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | NE 4 | NE 5 | SSE 10 | S 15 | S 15 | SSE 12 |
| kJ | 15 | 27 | 229 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 348 | 727 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 75 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSE 14 | ENE 9 | NE 8 | NNE 11 | — | — | — | E 9 | NE 9 | SE 12 | SE 12 | — | SE 12 | E 10 | E 10 | S 16 | E 10 | E 10 | ENE 3 |
| kJ | — | 19 | 15 | 25 | 12 | — | — | — | 2 | 13 | 5 | 5 | — | 6 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 4 | — | NW 2 | WNW 3 | SSW 13 | S 12 | — | — | — | NNW 3 | W 3 | — | WNW 3 | NW 2 | NNW 2 | NW 2 | — | — | — | NE 4 |
| kJ | 1 | — | 1 | 3 | 2817 | 2273 | — | — | — | 3 | 5 | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 6 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 43 | 3 | 15 | 50 | 42 | 115 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 45 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gisborne and Mahia | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Sponge bay surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest