
Surf Forecasts:
Sponge bay surf forecast from 5 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 13 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 11s period, SE swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 11 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 10s period, SSE swell with 3,696 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 5 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 10s 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 Sunday (Jul 05) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 17s. 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 4.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 11) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.2m 8s period and expected on Monday (Jul 06) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Sun 5th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Mon 13th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Sat 11th Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Sponge bay over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for Sponge Bay.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the next week and a half looks rough. We’ve got a solid gap of poor conditions starting now and stretching all the way through to the 15th of July. There’s a run of days where the wind is just howling onshore, mostly from the south and southwest, and when you combine that with building swell, it’s going to be a washing machine out there. The energy in the water climbs through the roof, especially by the 10th and 11th, with combined swell energy hitting over 1400 (moderate) and then skyrocketing to 5968 (strong) on the 11th, but it’s all blown out. For a beach-and-reef setup like Sponge Bay, this pattern looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The water temp is sitting at 56°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year.
Now, the first real glimmer of hope comes on Wednesday the 15th of July. The morning shows a 15ft swell from the SSE, but the wind is light and offshore from the NW. That’s a juicy combination – clean face, big juice. But here’s the catch: at 15ft, this is strictly for experts only. The energy is massive at 7437 (very strong), and the period is 11 seconds. It’s a powerful groundswell that will be offering up some serious freight trains. The afternoon cleans up further with a 10ft swell from the SE and light offshore winds from the NNE. Still too big for anyone but the very experienced. Because crowds are listed as “sometimes,” don’t be surprised if you see a few other brave souls out there.
After that, things settle down a bit. Thursday the 16th sees a drop to 7ft from the ESE, but the wind goes cross-shore and the forecast is marginal. Friday the 17th afternoon is where it gets interesting for the rest of us. The swell drops to 4ft from the ESE, with a 11-second period, and you’ve got a clean cross-off breeze from the ENE. The combined energy is 581 (moderate). This is a solid, surfable day with decent shape. Good for a wide range of surfers.
The final weekend, Saturday the 18th, offers clean, offshore winds again, but the swell is backing right off – 3ft from the SSE in the morning and 3ft in the afternoon. The energy drops to 529 and 340 (weak to moderate). It’s a nice end to the run, small and clean, best for logs or a fun cruiser.
So, the standout is absolutely Wednesday the 15th for the big-wave crew, and Friday the 17th afternoon is the pick for the average surfer looking for clean, fun waves.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Sun afternoon, min 8°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 30mm), heaviest during Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu morning, min 10°C on Sat morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the W on Thu night, strong winds from the S by Fri night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sun 5 | Monday 6 | Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | E 10 | E 8 | S 21 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | ESE 10 | S 10 | SE 10 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
5 | 196 | 142 | 8 | 288 | 251 | 371 | 596 | 692 | 628 | 480 | 290 | 356 | 1555 | 2415 | 2285 | 2320 | 2232 | 3042 | 2039 | 1802 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 10:18PM1.91m | 10:29AM1.82m | 10:59PM1.93m | 11:12AM1.84m | 11:39PM1.94m | 11:56AM1.85m | 00:18AM1.93m | 12:42PM1.87m | 00:59AM1.91m | 1:30PM1.89m | 1:45AM1.89m | 2:19PM1.90m | 2:38AM1.86m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:55PM0.62m | 4:35AM0.64m | 4:37PM0.59m | 5:17AM0.59m | 5:18PM0.57m | 5:59AM0.54m | 6:00PM0.55m | 6:40AM0.49m | 6:45PM0.54m | 7:24AM0.45m | 7:35PM0.54m | 8:10AM0.42m | 8:29PM0.54m | 9:01AM0.42m | |||||||
— | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | |
4:58 | — | — | 4:59 | — | — | 4:59 | — | — | 5:00 | — | — | 5:00 | — | — | 5:00 | — | — | 5:01 | — | 5:01 | |
mm | — | — | 1 | 7 | 4 | — | — | — | 4 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Temp °C | 14 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 |
Feels °C | 10 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 10 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SSE 6 | ESE 10 | SSE 10 | S 18 | E 10 | E 10 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 |
250 | 196 | 142 | 347 | 288 | 251 | 371 | 596 | 692 | 628 | 480 | 115 | 356 | 734 | 59 | 96 | 161 | 2232 | 1632 | 1160 | 1111 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | S 16 | S 15 | S 21 | SSE 19 | SSE 17 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 14 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | E 10 | SSE 16 | ESE 10 | — | — | — | — | SSE 20 | SSE 18 | SSE 16 |
5 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 68 | 58 | 20 | 18 | 41 | 37 | 32 | 290 | 50 | 461 | — | — | — | — | 39 | 63 | 86 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | NE 9 | S 22 | S 13 | SSW 19 | S 11 | SSE 16 | SSE 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | S 19 | S 17 | SSW 16 | S 20 | — | — | — | — | — | S 14 | — |
2 | 3 | 9 | 4 | 69 | 21 | 51 | 48 | 69 | 62 | 7 | 23 | 100 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | 16 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 7 | — | — | — | NE 9 | — | — | — | SSW 9 | — | S 7 | S 6 | SSE 9 | S 10 | SE 10 | SE 11 | SE 11 | S 21 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 |
198 | — | — | — | 571 | — | — | — | 92 | — | 28 | 225 | 266 | 1555 | 2415 | 2285 | 2320 | 9 | 3042 | 2039 | 1802 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 3 | 10 | 43 | 10 | 42 | 53 | 36 | 121 | 125 | 121 | 121 | 121 | 68 | 53 |
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.











