Sponge bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.70° S 178.06° E

Sponge bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 am 05 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Sponge bay sea temperature is
13.1°C
0.8° 

Sponge bay surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Sponge bay surf forecast from 4 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 12 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, SSW swell with 1,331 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 6 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 9s 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 Sunday (Sep 06) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 18s. 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 9s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 12) 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 0.8m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 05) at 9PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)12PM (Sun 6th Sep)1.5ft (0.4m) 9s
Best Surf 9AM (Sat 12th Sep)10ft (3.0m) 9s
Most Powerful 9AM (Sat 12th Sep)10ft (3.0m) 9s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Sponge bay over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the charts for Sponge Bay. I gotta be straight with you – the next sixteen days are a real mixed bag, and mostly a flat, frustrating one. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing to get excited about before a single, very big day pops up way out there.

The water temperature here is sitting at 56°F, which is about a degree and a half cooler than we’d expect for this time of year. Not a massive shock, but you’ll feel that little bite.

So, here’s the deal. For the first few days, from Saturday the 5th right through the start of the following week, it’s basically a write-off. We’re looking at tiny, weak swells with combined energy barely cracking 30 to 80. The wind is all over the place – cross-off, cross-on – and nothing is lining up. The wave comment is “poor surf conditions,” and that’s exactly what it is: flat and frustrating.

We get a tiny glimmer on Wednesday the 9th morning. The wind goes glassy, and we see a 4ft swell from the SSE with a combined energy of 190. The wave comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” It’s not good, just not terrible. If you’re desperate and have a foamie, you could maybe find a knee-high ripple. But that’s the best we’ve got for a whole week.

Then we hit a dead zone. From Thursday the 10th all the way through to Friday the 18th, the vast majority of the period is “poor surf conditions.” The swell is small, the wind is messy, and it’s a real test of patience. There’s a day on Saturday the 12th morning that’s a total head-scratcher. The forecast shows a massive 10ft swell from the SSW with a combined energy of 2054 – that’s a lot of ocean moving. But the warning is clear: it’s predicted to be too big for this break. Sponge Bay is a beach and reef setup, and that kind of power would be dangerous and unruly, even with clean cross-off wind. That’s for experts only, and even then, it’s a gamble. The afternoon of the 12th drops to 6ft and is still a “marginal surf forecast.”

The only real standout in this whole outlook is the morning of Saturday the 12th. If you are a very experienced surfer and you know Sponge Bay handles a big swell, that 10ft of clean, cross-off swell is the biggest pulse we’ll see. But for everyone else, it’s a no-go. The rest of the window is a flat, windy mess. Honestly, if you’re a kite surfer, the strong, clean cross-off winds on some of those bigger days might be more interesting than what we’ll get for paddle surfing.

This is a tough stretch. The forecast can change, so don’t write the whole thing off, but right now, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Some drizzle, heaviest during Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun afternoon, min 9°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu morning, min 8°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed morning, fresh winds from the SW by Thu night).

Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
Friday
11
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
SSE
9
0.4
SSE
9
0.5
SSE
13
0.5
SSE
11
0.3
SSE
18
0.4
SSE
17
0.3
SSE
12
0.3
SSE
11
0.2
SSE
12
0.4
SSE
8
0.9
SSE
9
1.2
SSE
10
1.1
SSE
9
0.9
SSE
9
0.7
SSE
8
0.6
SSE
8
0.4
SSE
8
0.4
SE
8
1.1
SSW
6
0.3
SSE
18
0.5
S
19
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
26
25
96
64
63
96
27
24
13
24
121
242
188
121
59
43
24
20
93
64
176
Wind (km/h)
10
NW
20
E
20
NW
20
NW
20
NW
15
NNW
20
NNW
15
N
10
WNW
15
SSW
20
SSW
10
WSW
5
SW
15
ENE
15
NNW
20
NW
20
NW
30
SW
20
W
10
SW
5
WSW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross
High Tide
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
4:48AM1.81m
5:18PM1.94m
5:44AM1.88m
6:09PM2.01m
Low Tide
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
10:55AM0.51m
11:34PM0.55m
11:50AM0.46m
00:26AM0.48m
clear
clear
clear
clear
cloud
cloud
cloud
light rain
cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
cloud
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:24
6:22
6:20
6:20
6:18
6:16
6:15
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:47
5:49
5:50
5:51
5:52
5:52
5:53
 mm
1
3
Temp °C
15
13
12
17
18
16
18
18
14
11
11
10
11
11
10
16
15
11
13
15
13
Feels °C
11
8
8
14
13
14
15
15
11
8
6
8
8
7
7
11
10
5
8
12
9
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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