
Surf Forecasts:
Sponge bay surf forecast from 24 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 29 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 13s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 27 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s period, SSE swell with 2,879 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 25 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 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 25) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 8s. 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 3.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 27) at 6PM. 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 (Jul 30) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Mon 27th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 12s |
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 at Sponge Bay.
Right off the bat, we’ve got a patchy start. The first surfable waves show up on Saturday morning, 25 July, but it’s nothing to write home about. We’re looking at a 3ft easterly swell with a 12-second period, and the combined energy is moderate (212). The wind is a light cross-offshore, so it’s clean, but the wave quality is just ordinary. The real issue is that this is a short-lived window. By Saturday afternoon, the wind swings onshore and the conditions go poor, and that pretty much sets the tone for the next several days.
From Saturday afternoon all the way through to Tuesday, 28 July, the surf is a write-off. The wind is howling from the southwest, bringing in rain and onshore slop. Even when the swell picks up to 7ft on Sunday (1001 moderate energy), the period is a short 8 seconds, and the wind is just destroying it. It’s a mess of choppy, cross-onshore junk. Not worth paddling out.
Things start to look interesting on Wednesday morning, 29 July. That’s the standout. The morning kicks off with a 5ft swell from the ESE, 13-second period, and the combined energy is moderate (872). The wind is a light cross-offshore from the WNW at 3 mph, and it’s glassy clean. This is where you want to be. The afternoon holds up too, with a 5ft swell, same ESE direction, and still cross-offshore. The wave comment says “expect very good surf conditions,” and I’m feeling it. This is the best on offer in the whole forecast. For a beginner-friendly beach-and-reef spot like Sponge Bay, 5ft is a comfortable size, and the moderate energy means it’s not too powerful. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.
After that, Thursday (30 July) and Friday (31 July) are marginal. The swell drops to 4ft and then 3ft, and while the wind is cross-offshore or offshore, the energy is fading (464 down to 168). It’s clean, but the waves are small and ordinary. Still, if you’re desperate, Friday morning might give you a little knee-high bump with a moderate offshore wind.
Then we hit a dry spell. From Saturday, 1 August, through to Tuesday, 5 August, the wind is either onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell is tiny and weak. The only glimmer is Sunday afternoon, 2 August, when it goes totally glassy with a 3ft SSE swell, but the energy is low (230) and the waves are just ordinary. Not enough to get excited about.
The second week opens with a bit of a tease. On Thursday, 6 August, a 6ft southerly swell shows up, but the period is a short 7 seconds, and the wind is onshore and strong. It’s messy. Friday, 7 August, has a bigger 7ft SSE swell with a long 15-second period (2206 strong energy), but the wind is straight onshore again. That’s a real shame—those long-period, high-energy waves would be cranking if the wind played nice, but they’re just blowing out.
The final call is Saturday, 8 August, when the swell hits 12ft from the south with a 12-second period and massive energy (4439). But the file says it’s predicted to be too big for this break. That’s expert territory, and with a gentle cross-onshore wind, it’s going to be a messy, dangerous beast. Not one for the average punter.
So, overall, the only session worth chasing is Wednesday, 29 July. That’s your clean, fun-sized window. After that, it’s a long wait for anything half-decent, and even then, the wind screws it up. It’s a tough run for Sponge Bay.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Fri night, min 6°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNW on Sat morning, fresh winds from the SSW by Mon morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu morning, min 7°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | ||||||||||||||
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 11 | E 12 | E 12 | SSW 6 | S 8 | ESE 13 | S 8 | S 10 | SSE 11 | SE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
82 | 172 | 169 | 298 | 471 | 384 | 761 | 1559 | 2416 | 1762 | 1447 | 1504 | 1188 | 852 | 688 | 548 | 429 | 259 | 214 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:52AM1.78m | 2:25PM1.76m | 2:39AM1.70m | 3:12PM1.71m | 3:34AM1.65m | 4:09PM1.68m | 4:36AM1.63m | 5:20PM1.69m | 5:36AM1.66m | 6:18PM1.74m | 6:27AM1.71m | 7:03PM1.80m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:14AM0.67m | 8:41PM0.79m | 9:00AM0.72m | 9:33PM0.82m | 9:52AM0.75m | 10:32PM0.84m | 10:51AM0.76m | 11:34PM0.83m | 11:47AM0.74m | 00:30AM0.80m | 12:36PM0.70m | 1:18AM0.75m | |||||||
— | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | |
mm | — | — | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 12 |
Feels °C | 9 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 11 | E 12 | E 12 | S 6 | SSE 7 | ESE 13 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | SE 12 | SE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 |
82 | 172 | 169 | 109 | 199 | 384 | 335 | 572 | 1687 | 1762 | 1447 | 1504 | 1188 | 852 | 688 | 548 | 429 | 259 | 214 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 9 | SE 18 | SE 17 | E 11 | ESE 14 | S 15 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | S 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | S 10 | S 15 | S 14 | S 16 | S 13 |
8 | 13 | 77 | 116 | 233 | 18 | 384 | 551 | 35 | 34 | 26 | 25 | 22 | 20 | 2 | 5 | 15 | 19 | 14 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 11 | SE 13 | S 8 | ESE 16 | E 12 | — | S 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 16 | S 10 | S 16 | S 9 | S 9 |
12 | 27 | 5 | 166 | 98 | — | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 2 | 20 | 2 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 3 | NNW 2 | SW 8 | SSW 6 | S 8 | SSE 8 | S 8 | S 10 | SSE 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 3 | NNW 3 | N 3 | NNE 5 |
2 | 1 | 3 | 298 | 471 | 322 | 761 | 1559 | 2416 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 9 | 1 | 10 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 42 | 68 | 42 | 68 | 53 | 68 | 68 | 53 | 10 | 43 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
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.










