Surf Forecasts:
Sponge bay surf forecast from 2 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 6 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 11s period, S swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 5 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 11s period, S swell with 5,859 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 3 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 10s period with SE 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 Monday (Aug 03) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 21s. 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 5.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 08) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12PM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Wed 5th Aug) | 16ft (5.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Sponge bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.
First up, we’ve got a long 16-day window for Sponge Bay, and honestly, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. We’re looking at a beach and reef setup that’s fairly consistent, but the waiting game is on for the real good stuff. The water temp is sitting at 56°, which is about what you’d expect for the time of year, nothing wild there.
The first real chance to wet a line kicks off on Monday morning, the 3rd of August. We’ve got a clean 4ft swell from the SSE with a moderate 11-second period, and the wind is a light cross-offshore breeze from the NW. The combined energy is moderate at 317, so there’s some push but it’s not a standout. It’s a surfable wave, but the forecast says it’s marginal, so don’t expect perfection.
The next window worth looking at is Friday morning, the 7th of August. The swell drops a touch to 4ft from the SE, but the period is a very long 17 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The wind is light and cross-off from the NW, keeping things clean. The combined energy jumps to 1606 (moderate to strong), so there’s power in the water. Just a heads up, that long period swell can make a beach break like this a bit straight and tricky, but with clean conditions, it might be worth a look for the more experienced crew.
Honestly, the real standout for the whole outlook is the following Monday, the 17th of August. Monday morning we’ve got a solid 12ft swell from the SSW, with clean cross-off winds from the NW. The combined energy is a massive 3458 (strong). Monday afternoon gets even better – 13ft from the S, light cross-off from the NE, and energy at 5033 (very strong). The wind and tide look favorable, but the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. This is strictly for experts only; over 8ft is a big boy wave. If you’re a seasoned charger, this is your window. Tuesday the 18th of August also holds that big, clean energy with 10ft from the S, but again, it’s big and not for the faint of heart.
There’s a big gap of poor surf from the 10th right through to the 16th, with nothing but onshore slop, strong winds, and tiny waves. You’ll be better off staying home or doing some yard work during that stretch.
So, to wrap it up: the best on offer is that big swell window on the 17th and 18th of August for experts only. For the everyday surfer, the Friday the 7th of August might give you a clean, long-period wave if you can handle the straight lines. The rest is a bit of a struggle.
Stay safe out there.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon afternoon, min 5°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the W on Mon afternoon, strong winds from the SSW by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Sat night. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat morning, min 5°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | |||||||||||||||
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 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 12 | SSE 15 | S 11 | S 11 | SSE 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | SSW 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SSE 17 | SSE 15 | SSE 13 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SSE 16 | SSE 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 305 | 220 | 283 | 573 | 2734 | 5230 | 3095 | 4445 | 2751 | 2157 | 787 | 255 | 315 | 848 | 1158 | 555 | 330 | 202 | 137 | 171 | 129 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 9:19AM1.89m | 9:43PM1.98m | 10:00AM1.91m | 10:23PM1.98m | 10:42AM1.92m | 11:05PM1.95m | 11:28AM1.91m | 11:47PM1.92m | 12:16PM1.90m | 00:32AM1.88m | 1:05PM1.89m | 1:22AM1.83m | 1:58PM1.86m | 2:20AM1.79m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:24PM0.54m | 4:00AM0.54m | 4:05PM0.52m | 4:41AM0.50m | 4:47PM0.51m | 5:24AM0.47m | 5:31PM0.52m | 6:09AM0.46m | 6:20PM0.54m | 6:56AM0.45m | 7:14PM0.57m | 7:47AM0.47m | 8:12PM0.60m | ||||||||
 | |  |  |  |  | | | |  | |  | |  | | | | | | | | |
 | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — |
 | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — |
mm | — | — | — | 4 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 15 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 10 |
Feels °C | 10 | 12 | 6 | -2 | -2 | -4 | -1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 12 | SSE 15 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | — | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 12 | SSE 15 | SSE 13 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SSE 6 |
| kJ | 305 | 220 | 283 | 573 | 1855 | 2788 | — | 2279 | 1422 | 845 | 652 | 255 | 315 | 486 | 1158 | 555 | 330 | 202 | 137 | 106 | 53 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 22 | S 20 | SSE 18 | E 12 | E 12 | — | — | — | NE 18 | — | S 11 | SE 6 | SE 13 | SSE 17 | SE 11 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SSE 15 | SE 14 | SSE 16 | SSE 14 |
| kJ | 9 | 32 | 64 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | 12 | — | 345 | 61 | 175 | 848 | 123 | 84 | 50 | 22 | 54 | 171 | 129 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 13 | SE 12 | E 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 11 | SE 15 | SE 13 | SSE 19 | SE 12 | NE 14 | NE 14 | NE 13 | SSE 15 | SSE 19 | E 12 | SE 10 |
| kJ | 3 | 6 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 104 | 87 | 137 | 272 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 22 | 37 | 3 | 49 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 3 | — | — | S 6 | S 11 | S 11 | SSE 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | SSW 11 | — | — | — | — | NW 3 | NW 3 | — | W 3 | SW 4 | SSW 6 |
| kJ | 2 | — | — | 109 | 2734 | 5230 | 3095 | 4445 | 2751 | 2157 | 787 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | 4 | 127 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 3 | 19 | 0 | 119 | 118 | 125 | 257 | 121 | 115 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 10 |
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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