Tahunanui bar Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(Nelson – Tasman Bay, New Zealand)

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- Hourly Forecast
- 16 Day Forecast
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Spot Information

Tahunanui bar Surf Guide

Tahunanui bar in Nelson - Tasman Bay is an exposed sandbar break that only works once in a while with no particular seasonal pattern. The best wind direction is from the south and there is no shelter here from cross shore breezes. Light onshore winds ruin the qulaity Tends to receive a mix of groundswells and windswells and the optimum swell angle is from the north northwest. The sandbar breaks peel to the left. It very rarely gets crowded here. Dangerous rips are a hazard of surfing here.

Tahunanui bar Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Sandbar	3	inconsistent	16.4°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Tahunanui bar:

The best conditions reported for surf at Tahunanui bar occur when a North-northwest swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the South.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

What's the best time of year to surf Tahunanui bar (for consistent clean waves)?

juneBest Season: winter

The best time of year for surfing Tahunanui bar with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winter and most often the month of June. Clean surfable waves are typically found 4% of the time in June while 15% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 81% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.

blown out

15%

Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).

too small

81%

Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Tahunanui bar Location Map

Interactive Tahunanui bar surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail.

Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)

Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.

Tahunanui bar Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Wednesday, 6 May 2026, 02:19 Local Time

m, °C	Wednesday 06
ft, °F	3AM	6AM	9AM	12PM
Wave (m)	NNW	NNW	N	N
Period (s)	3	3	3	5
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	cross- off	cross- off	cross- off	glass

What does Tahunanui bar look like?

Latest photos from Tahunanui bar. Upload your own or view all photos on the gallery page.

Credit: Rob Davies Credit: Rob Davies Credit: Rob Davies

Tides at Tahunanui bar

Current tide and informaton

For Nelson, New Zealand, 2 km from Tahunanui bar.

Next High Water: 12:18pm | 3.54m

Next Low Water: 05:48am | 1.03m

NEXT	IS AT (local time)	remaining
high tide
low tide

Tahunanui bar Sea Temperature

The water temperature (16.4 °C) at Tahunanui bar is quite cool. If the sun shines as we have forecast, it should feel warm enough to surf in a good spring wetsuit. Effective windchill factor of (15.0 °C) will make the air and water feel about the same temperature.

Today, many surfers would wear a spring wetsuit.

Current Temp*: 16.4°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite