
Surf Forecasts:
Sponge bay surf forecast from 24 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 29 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 13s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 27 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 13s period, SE swell with 1,933 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 24 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 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 Friday (Jul 24) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 9s. 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 2.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 27) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 7s period and expected on Friday (Jul 31) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Fri 24th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Wed 29th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Mon 27th Jul) | 8ft (2.4m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Sponge bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the forecast for Sponge Bay over the next 16 days is a tough one. We’ve got a real mixed bag of conditions, and honestly, there’s no single day that screams “go now.” The first few days are a write-off, and while there’s a flicker of hope mid-week, you’ll need to be patient.
The week kicks off with nothing but poor surf. Friday the 24th July has tiny 1.0ft swell from the SSE with a short 10 second period, and the combined energy is a weak 29. The wind is offshore from the NNW, which is clean, but there’s just no wave to ride. Saturday the 25th July sees a slight bump to 3ft from the East with a 12 second period, and the energy jumps to 187 – still weak. The morning has a light cross-offshore breeze, so it’s clean, but the swell is too small and uneven to get excited about. Sunday the 26th July brings a bigger 6ft swell from the South, but it’s short period (7 seconds) and the wind is a messy cross-onshore. The energy is moderate at 788, but the conditions are chop-ridden. Monday the 27th July is the same story – 7ft to 8ft swell from the South, but with a fresh cross-onshore wind and energy climbing to 3782, it’s lumpy, blown out, and only for the keenest. Tuesday the 28th July is a bit of a tease: 7ft from the ESE with a longer 13 second period, but the wind is cross-shore and the energy is strong at 1411. The morning is described as marginal, with a slight cross-chop – surfable for the dedicated, but not clean.
Now, here’s the standout. Wednesday the 29th July is the best on offer. The morning sees a 5ft swell from the ESE with a 13 second period, and the combined energy is a solid 867 (moderate). The wind is a light cross-offshore from the NW, giving clean, tidy waves. The afternoon holds up too, with 5ft from the same direction and a 12 second period, still cross-offshore and clean. This is the window to get wet if you’re desperate. The water temperature is 55°F, which is 3°F colder than normal for this time of year – a bit nippy, so a thicker wetsuit is a good idea.
After that, it fades again. Thursday the 30th July drops to 4ft, still clean with a cross-offshore wind, but the energy is down to 422 and the surf is marginal. Friday the 31st July is tiny at 2ft, and while the morning has a gentle offshore, it’s just not enough. Then from Saturday the 1st August, it gets ugly again – strong onshore winds, building swell up to 8ft, but with a strong cross-onshore breeze and energy hitting 1684, it’s messy and blown out. The whole second week, from the 1st to the 8th August, is a saga of poor conditions: strong winds, cross-onshore chop, and short-period swell. Nothing worth paddling out for.
Sponge Bay is a beach and reef setup, and it’s fairly consistent, but with this forecast, it’s a case of waiting for the wind to play nice. The Wednesday morning is your best bet – clean, offshore, and a decent 5ft swell. It’s not a classic, but it’s the only real window. Stay tuned – forecasts can change. Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri morning, min 6°C on Sun night). Mainly strong winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Wed afternoon, min 7°C on Mon morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Mon morning, light winds from the W by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | |||||||||||||||
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 10 | ESE 11 | E 11 | E 12 | E 12 | SSW 6 | S 7 | S 8 | S 8 | SE 12 | SE 13 | SE 12 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
19 | 12 | 82 | 174 | 169 | 230 | 333 | 478 | 593 | 1385 | 1933 | 1598 | 1383 | 1363 | 1026 | 865 | 677 | 452 | 380 | 283 | 233 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:42PM1.82m | 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 | 7:52PM0.75m | 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 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | |
— | 5:10 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 5 | 5 | 1 | 3 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 9 | 13 | 14 | 11 |
Feels °C | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 6 | ENE 8 | E 11 | E 12 | E 12 | S 6 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 12 | SE 13 | SE 12 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 |
7 | 22 | 82 | 174 | 169 | 104 | 124 | 232 | 278 | 1385 | 1834 | 1598 | 1383 | 1363 | 1026 | 865 | 677 | 452 | 380 | 283 | 233 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | NNE 5 | SE 17 | E 11 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | S 14 | — | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 18 | SSE 15 | SSE 13 | NE 6 |
19 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 77 | 116 | 233 | 384 | 384 | 312 | 15 | — | 28 | 24 | 22 | 2 | 2 | 60 | 42 | 35 | 5 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 10 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | SE 18 | NE 8 | ESE 16 | E 12 | S 15 | S 14 | S 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 17 | — | — | E 12 | S 16 |
10 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 17 | 166 | 98 | 18 | 16 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | 3 | 20 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NE 4 | NNW 2 | SW 8 | SSW 6 | S 7 | S 8 | S 8 | SW 6 | SSE 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 3 | NNW 3 | N 3 | NNE 6 |
— | — | 2 | 1 | 3 | 230 | 333 | 478 | 593 | 205 | 1933 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | 2 | 29 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 36 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 42 | 10 | 121 | 53 | 68 | 68 | 10 | 3 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
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.










