
Surf Forecasts:
Tauranga Bay surf forecast from 10 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 15 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 16s period, W swell with onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 15 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 16s period, W swell with 4,824 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 10 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 16s period with WSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Tauranga Bay this week:
The surf forecast for Tauranga Bay over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 10) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 16s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Tauranga Bay in the next 16 days are 3.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 8s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3PM (Fri 10th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Wed 15th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Wed 15th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tauranga Bay over the next 16 days.
Alright, this is Rusty, checking in from the West Coast. Let's have a look at what's coming up for Tauranga Bay.
We've got a classic West Coast run on the cards, with a solid pulse of south-west swell set to kick things off. The water temp is sitting at 57°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The real action starts this Friday, July 10th. Tauranga Bay is primed with a clean 5ft swell from the WSW, and the morning looks like a ripper – clear skies, a gentle offshore breeze from the east, and the wave energy is pumping at 1271 (moderate to strong). The period is a long 16 seconds, which is proper groundswell, so you'll get those long, clean lines peeling down the point. This is your pick of the early window. The afternoon holds up nicely too, with a light cross-off breeze and similar size.
Saturday, July 11th, is an absolute standout. The morning is similar to Friday, with that clean 5ft WSW swell and a light offshore. But the afternoon is the real gem – glassy conditions, 5ft and clean, with a 16-second period. This is the kind of session you wait for. The energy is still strong at 1255. Get on it.
Sunday, July 12th, the quality starts to drop a notch. The morning is still clean with a light cross-off and 5ft swell, but the energy is backing off a bit (948). The afternoon turns into a cross-shore mess with a bumpy sea state, so that's a write-off.
Monday, July 13th, is a write-off all day. Strong winds and a messy, short-period swell will have the place chopped up. The morning is a strong onshore, and the afternoon is a 25 mph cross-shore, so that's a hard pass.
We get a reprieve on Tuesday, July 14th, with a clean morning, 6ft from the NW, and a light offshore breeze. The energy is moderate (695). It's a fun wave, but not the quality of the weekend. The afternoon is a bit messier.
Now, Wednesday, July 15th, is a big one. We are looking at a massive 10ft swell from the west with a very long 16-second period. The energy is immense (4824). The wind is glassy, and the tide is favorable... but this is too big for most. This is only for experienced chargers who know Tauranga Bay well. The massive size and long period will make it a heavy, powerful wave that's not for the faint-hearted.
Thursday, July 16th, the swell is still solid at 8ft from the west, but a strong south-west cross-shore wind is going to put a chop on it. It's a tricky one, not the cleanest.
Friday, July 17th, through to the weekend, we see a slow drop in size and a return to cleaner conditions. The 18th and 19th look promising again. Saturday, July 18th, the morning is clean with a 5ft WSW swell and a 14-second period, and the energy is building back up (1170). Sunday, July 19th, is a classic morning with a clean offshore from the SE and 5ft, and the afternoon turns glassy with a 7ft swell from the NNW. The energy is strong (1897). That's a great end to the week.
After that, the swell fades out. From the 20th through to the 25th, we're into small, weak surf. The 21st sees a tiny 3ft, and the energy drops to 195. The 23rd is almost flat, with a 2ft wave and energy of only 125. There's a bit of a bump on the 24th and 25th, but it's small and the wind is up, so it's not worth chasing. The last few days of the outlook are a real gap, with nothing much to offer.
So, to wrap it up: the clear standouts are the Saturday, July 11th, afternoon session for the glassy perfection, and the 19th of July for that clean, fun weekend swell. The 15th is for the big-wave crew only. For the rest of us, get out there this weekend, because after that, it's a waiting game.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Very mild (max 12°C on Sun afternoon, min 7°C on Fri morning). Winds increasing (calm on Sat morning, fresh winds from the NE by Sun night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 52mm), heaviest during Mon night. Very mild (max 14°C on Tue night, min 11°C on Mon morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NNE on Mon afternoon, calm by Wed afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | NNW 7 | NNW 9 | NW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 11 | W 16 | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | WSW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1271 | 1082 | 716 | 1450 | 1255 | 1239 | 948 | 784 | 536 | 277 | 405 | 975 | 439 | 375 | 889 | 4824 | 4188 | 2701 | 2342 | 2090 | 1288 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | off | off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | off |
High Tide | 6:38PM2.50m | 7:10AM2.57m | 7:44PM2.62m | 8:16AM2.68m | 8:45PM2.77m | 9:17AM2.81m | 9:42PM2.93m | 10:13AM2.91m | 10:35PM3.06m | 11:05AM2.97m | 11:26PM3.13m | 11:54AM2.98m | 00:15AM3.13m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:20PM0.52m | 00:52AM0.52m | 1:26PM0.46m | 1:58AM0.40m | 2:29PM0.36m | 3:01AM0.24m | 3:28PM0.24m | 3:59AM0.10m | 4:22PM0.13m | 4:52AM-0.02m | 5:13PM0.05m | 5:43AM-0.07m | 6:02PM0.03m | ||||||||
8:00 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:56 | — | — | 7:56 | — | — | |
— | 5:19 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 5 | — | 2 | 17 | — | 1 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 15 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 |
Feels °C | 5 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | NW 7 | WSW 14 | NNW 9 | NW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 11 | W 16 | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | WSW 14 |
1271 | 1082 | 716 | 1450 | 1255 | 1239 | 948 | 784 | 536 | 183 | 149 | 975 | 439 | 375 | 889 | 4824 | 4188 | 2701 | 2342 | 2090 | 1288 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | WSW 20 | — | — | — | — | — | N 14 | WSW 14 | — | WSW 13 | WNW 10 | NNW 8 | W 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 298 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 277 | — | 102 | 133 | 197 | 752 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | N 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 11 | — | W 22 | W 13 | W 13 | WSW 21 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 39 | 123 | 277 | 180 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 4 | ENE 4 | NNW 7 | — | — | — | N 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 5 | 405 | — | — | — | 87 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 14 | 57 | 77 | 12 | 0 | 65 | 57 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 70 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in West Coast South Island | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Tauranga Bay Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Tauranga Bay provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Tauranga Bay can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Tauranga 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 (Tauranga 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 Tauranga 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 West Coast South Island? If you are looking for accommodation near Tauranga Bay, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in West Coast South Island, consider staying in Nelson which is 161 km (100 miles) away.










