Surf Forecasts:
Sponge bay surf forecast from 7 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 8 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 12s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 8 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 12s period, SSE swell with 521 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 8 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 12s 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 (Aug 08) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 16s. 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 1.3m 12s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 08) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 6s period and expected on Friday (Aug 14) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Sat 8th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Sat 8th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Sat 8th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Sponge bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let's talk about Sponge Bay over the next couple of weeks. The water is a touch colder than usual for this time of year, sitting at 55°, which is about 2° below the norm—nothing too wild, but you might want a bit more rubber.
The first good chance to paddle out is Saturday morning, August 8th. We've got a clean 4ft swell coming from the SSE, with a nice 12-second period, and moderate wave energy. The wind is a gentle cross-off from the NW, so it'll be glassy. Saturday afternoon holds the same 4ft swell, with the wind shifting to a light cross-off from the ENE.
Sunday, August 9th, is another clean day. Morning brings a 3ft SE swell, 11-second period, with light offshore winds from the NNW. Afternoon drops to a 3ft SE swell and a 5 km/h offshore from the north. Both sessions are clean, making for a solid weekend.
Things go flat Monday with a 2ft swell that's too weak, and a cross-onshore wind messes up the afternoon. Tuesday is a marginal 5ft SSW swell with a short 8-second period and a cross-shore wind. Wednesday morning, August 12th, is a bright spot: a clean 4ft SE swell with an 11-second period and light offshore winds from the north. The energy is moderate, so it's a fun little session.
Then we hit a rough patch. Thursday through to Sunday, August 16th, is mostly poor. Swells are small, periods are short, and winds are generally onshore or cross-off. The 4ft swell on Saturday, August 15th, has a terrible 6-second period and a cross-shore wind—just a frustrating paddle.
Now, the big one. Monday, August 17th, the energy jumps. Morning sees a 8ft SSW swell with an 8-second period, and the energy is strong. Winds are a clean cross-off from the NW. This is for experts only—too big for beginners. The afternoon is a bit sketchy with a cross-on wind, so hit the morning session.
We get a couple of poor days after that, but the real standout is Saturday, August 22nd. Both morning and afternoon deliver a solid 8ft SSE swell with an 11-second period, packing very strong energy. The winds are light and cross-off, keeping it clean. This is the best on offer—excellent for experienced surfers, but not for the faint of heart. The long period means it'll be powerful, with good shape, but it might break a bit straight at the beach, so be ready.
The run finishes with Sunday, August 23rd, back to a smaller, ordinary 4ft SE swell.
So, to wrap it up: the standout is the morning of Monday, August 17th, and both sessions on Saturday, August 22nd. Everything else is a pick-and-choose game. Get out there and make the most of it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun afternoon, min 7°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu afternoon, min 9°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SSW 8 | SSE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 6 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 521 | 480 | 283 | 229 | 160 | 189 | 89 | 79 | 56 | 210 | 231 | 187 | 292 | 170 | 112 | 58 | 22 | 66 | 89 | 74 | 80 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:05PM1.89m | 1:22AM1.83m | 1:58PM1.86m | 2:20AM1.79m | 2:55PM1.84m | 3:29AM1.77m | 4:07PM1.85m | 4:46AM1.79m | 5:27PM1.91m | 5:54AM1.85m | 6:28PM2.00m | 6:51AM1.92m | 7:19PM2.07m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:14PM0.57m | 7:47AM0.47m | 8:12PM0.60m | 8:44AM0.49m | 9:16PM0.63m | 9:49AM0.51m | 10:31PM0.63m | 11:01AM0.49m | 11:47PM0.60m | 12:04PM0.45m | 00:48AM0.54m | 12:58PM0.43m | 1:39AM0.49m | ||||||||
 | |  | | |  |  |  |  | | |  | |  |  | | | | |  | | |
 | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — |
 | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | 9 | 1 |
Temp °C | 10 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 12 |
Feels °C | 7 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 12 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 6 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 |
| kJ | 521 | 480 | 283 | 229 | 160 | 189 | 89 | 79 | 55 | 147 | 231 | 187 | 292 | 170 | 112 | 58 | 22 | 66 | 89 | 74 | 80 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 16 | SSE 15 | SE 15 | SE 15 | SE 14 | NE 6 | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | SE 13 | SE 12 | NNE 6 | S 20 | S 18 | NE 4 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | SSE 9 | ESE 13 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | NE 9 |
| kJ | 258 | 240 | 56 | 104 | 147 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 56 | 89 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 12 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 12 | E 13 | — | E 12 | S 17 | S 16 | S 6 | S 16 | S 14 | NE 11 | — | S 16 | — | SSE 10 | ESE 13 | SSE 9 | SE 10 | SE 9 | ESE 14 |
| kJ | 87 | 41 | 22 | 13 | — | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 16 | 4 | — | 5 | — | 9 | 17 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 18 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NNE 3 | N 3 | NE 3 | — | WSW 3 | SSW 2 | SSW 6 | SSW 8 | — | — | NE 6 | NE 4 | NE 5 | NE 5 | ENE 5 | NE 6 | — | NE 7 | — |
| kJ | — | — | 2 | 5 | 3 | — | 2 | 1 | 34 | 210 | — | — | 1 | 19 | 31 | 54 | 27 | 157 | — | 160 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 36 | 3 | 1 | 42 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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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