Surf Forecasts:
Tauranga Bay surf forecast from 11 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 16s period, WSW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 12 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 16s period, WSW swell with 9,110 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 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 Saturday (Sep 12) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 4.5m and 16s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-shore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Tauranga Bay in the next 16 days are 4.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 12) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 7s period and expected on Friday (Sep 18) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tauranga Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s talk Tauranga Bay. There’s some proper swell on the way, but you’ve gotta be patient. The first few days are blown out or way too big for a normal session.
The big one to mark on your calendar is Saturday, September 26th. That’s the standout. We’ve got a clean 5ft groundswell from the WSW with a long period of 16 to 17 seconds, and the wind goes dead calm—glassy as a mirror all day. The wave energy is strong (1606). It’s a beach and point break, so that point is gonna hold that long-period swell beautifully. Perfect for an intermediate.
Another good window is Tuesday, September 22nd. Early morning you’ve got a clean offshore breeze from the ESE and a solid 10ft WSW groundswell with a period of 12 seconds. That’s over 8ft, so it’s expert-only territory. The energy is strong (2164) and it’s clean, but it’s a lot of water.
Sunday, September 20th is also worth a look for experienced surfers. A cross-off wind from the ENE with an 8ft WSW groundswell at 15 seconds. Clean conditions, strong energy (2361). Not for beginners.
The rest of the run is lumpy, with cross-shore winds and swells that are either too big or messy. Water temp is about normal for the season.
So, hold out for that glassy Saturday the 26th—that’s your best bet. The 22nd and 20th are solid for the crew who know what they’re doing. Don’t bother with the first week.
Stay salty,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 12°C on Sun morning, min 10°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SW on Fri night, light winds from the SW by Sun afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 40mm), heaviest during Wed night. Very mild (max 13°C on Tue afternoon, min 10°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, fresh winds from the SSW by Thu afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | ||||||||||||||
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 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | W 10 | W 12 | WNW 10 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 7095 | 9110 | 4402 | 3296 | 2299 | 1807 | 3712 | 2482 | 2020 | 1321 | 850 | 615 | 437 | 270 | 955 | 798 | 1886 | 2376 | 1707 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 10:46PM3.09m | 11:08AM2.99m | 11:25PM3.08m | 11:46AM2.96m | 00:03AM2.99m | 12:23PM2.88m | 00:40AM2.85m | 12:59PM2.75m | 1:18AM2.67m | 1:37PM2.59m | 1:58AM2.48m | 2:19PM2.42m | 2:43AM2.29m | ||||||
Low Tide | 4:59AM-0.05m | 5:15PM0.01m | 5:38AM-0.02m | 5:55PM0.06m | 6:16AM0.09m | 6:33PM0.18m | 6:53AM0.24m | 7:12PM0.34m | 7:31AM0.43m | 7:52PM0.52m | 8:11AM0.63m | 8:37PM0.71m | |||||||
 |  |  | |  | | | |  |  | | |  |  | |  |  | | | |
 | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — |
 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:21 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:23 | — | — | 6:24 | — |
mm | 1 | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 31 | 6 | — | — |
Temp °C | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 |
Feels °C | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 10 | WSW 10 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | W 10 | W 12 | WNW 10 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 10 |
| kJ | — | — | 4402 | 3296 | 1109 | 1202 | 3712 | 2482 | 2020 | 1321 | 850 | 615 | 437 | 270 | 955 | 798 | 1886 | 2376 | 1226 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | — | — | — | — | N 12 | N 12 | W 20 | WSW 13 | N 11 | WSW 13 | NW 8 | NW 8 | WSW 16 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 2299 | 1807 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 8 | 96 | 2 | 632 | 408 | 154 | 1707 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 18 | — | — | — | — | N 7 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | 37 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 10 | WSW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 7095 | 9110 | 1297 | 1322 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 189 | 191 | 195 | 188 | 65 | 29 | 65 | 29 | 191 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 57 | 220 | 65 | 29 | 151 | 57 |
Best forecast wave conditions in West Coast South Island | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Tauranga Bay surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest