Sponge bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.70° S 178.06° E

Sponge bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 pm 24 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Sponge bay sea temperature is
12.4°C
1.5° 

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 24 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 15s period, SSE swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 1 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 15s period, SSE swell with 2,812 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 25 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 13s 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 Tuesday (Aug 25) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 13s. 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 2.5m 15s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 5s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 3PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6AM (Tue 25th Aug)3ft (0.9m) 13s
Best Surf 6AM (Tue 1st Sep)7.5ft (2.3m) 15s
Most Powerful 3AM (Tue 1st Sep)8ft (2.5m) 15s

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


The Lowdown

Righto, gather 'round. Rusty here, and I've been staring at the charts for Sponge Bay. It's a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks, with a few real windows of opportunity, but also some long flat spells to get through.

The overall pattern is pretty quiet to start, with a few small pulses of SSE swell. The real standout is a solid pulse that arrives on the 1st of September, but that's a way off yet. Before that, we've got a few windows of clean, small waves that'll keep the keeners happy, but nothing that'll have you calling in sick.

Let's break it down. The first bit of action is Tuesday morning, 25 August. It's small, with a 3 ft SSE swell wrapping in at a nice 13-second period, giving a moderate energy level (243). The wind is a cross-off from the NW, so the beach-and-reef setup at Sponge Bay should be pretty clean. It's not a standout, but it's surfable and very ordinary.

The best of the early run looks like Wednesday morning, 26 August. We've got a smaller 2 ft swell, but it’s a groundswell from the SSE with a very long 17-second period and a solid energy reading (374). The wind is a clean cross-off from the NW, so this is going to be a real treat for the patient surfer. Long gaps between sets, but the waves will have good shape. Crowds are possible here.

Thursday morning, 27 August, is a write-off with onshore wind, so give it a miss. Friday morning, 28 August, is back on the cards. Light offshore winds from the N and a clean 4 ft SSE swell (14 seconds, energy 525) make for a good morning session. It's a definite highlight in the first week.

The weekend fades away to nothing. Saturday, 29 August, has a tiny 2 ft swell, and by Sunday, 30 August, it's nearly flat at 1 ft with glassy conditions, but there's just no energy (33). It's a full 3-4 day gap of small, weak surf.

Now, the big one. Tuesday morning, 1 September. This is the standout of the whole outlook. The models are showing a clean 7 ft SSE swell with a 14-second period and a massive energy reading of 1752. That's a powerful swell. The wind is light offshore from the N, so Sponge Bay will be firing. This is for experienced surfers only, as 7 ft is pushing into expert territory, especially with that kind of energy. It's a long way out, so keep an eye on it, but it looks promising.

After that, the swell drops off again. Wednesday, 2 September, sees strong winds and a messy drop in size. We get a few OK mornings on Thursday, 5 September, with a 4 ft SSE swell and clean conditions, but it's a shadow of the 1st. The following week trails off into tiny, insignificant waves with poor periods.

So, to sum it up: the first week has a few clean, small mornings, with the best being Wednesday the 26th and Friday the 28th. The real target is the 1st of September, which is a good one for the experienced crew. The rest of the period is largely flat, with a few blips of small, clean surf. It's not a classic run, but there's enough to get a paddle in.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 9°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Fri morning, min 11°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
1
0
2
2
1
0
0
2
3
2
1
1
1
0
1
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)
1.2
SSE
13
0.9
SSE
13
0.6
SSE
12
0.7
SSE
15
0.7
SSE
17
0.6
SSE
16
0.6
SSE
15
1.2
SSE
17
1.4
SSE
17
1.2
SSE
16
1.2
SSE
14
0.9
SSE
13
0.7
SE
12
0.6
SSE
11
0.6
SSE
11
0.5
SE
11
0.3
SSE
10
0.3
SSE
10
0.3
SSE
7
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
475
227
119
231
315
208
167
813
1138
645
501
269
157
87
81
60
20
20
9
Wind (km/h)
15
NW
15
NW
15
ESE
15
NW
15
NW
10
ENE
20
NW
15
SSE
10
ESE
15
N
10
N
20
NNW
15
NNW
15
N
20
NNW
10
NNW
5
SW
5
SSE
15
WNW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
on
cross
off
off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
off
glassy
glassy
cross-off
High Tide
3:08AM1.63m
3:41PM1.69m
4:20AM1.65m
4:58PM1.73m
5:17AM1.71m
5:51PM1.81m
6:03AM1.79m
6:32PM1.89m
6:45AM1.86m
7:10PM1.96m
7:25AM1.92m
7:46PM2.01m
Low Tide
9:07PM0.83m
9:27AM0.82m
10:10PM0.83m
10:32AM0.78m
11:11PM0.79m
11:26AM0.72m
00:02AM0.73m
12:10PM0.65m
00:46AM0.66m
12:50PM0.58m
1:26AM0.59m
1:30PM0.53m
2:04AM0.52m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:41
6:39
6:37
6:35
6:35
6:33
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:38
5:39
5:40
5:40
5:42
5:43
 mm
Temp °C
11
14
15
13
16
17
15
12
12
11
18
16
14
18
16
13
14
15
12
Feels °C
7
12
11
10
13
14
11
9
10
8
15
11
10
14
12
11
12
14
9
  • Map Icons:
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  • 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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