
Surf Forecasts:
Tauranga Bay surf forecast from 21 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 12s period, W swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 16s period, W swell with 6,609 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 22 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 11s 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 Wednesday (Jul 22) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 15s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Tauranga Bay in the next 16 days are 3.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 8s period and expected on Friday (Jul 24) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Sat 25th Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Sat 25th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tauranga Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right then, let’s have a proper look at what’s comin’ through for Tauranga Bay.
It’s gonna be a bit of a mixed bag, but there are some absolute gems in there if you pick your moments. The main takeaway is that we’ve got a solid run of decent swell from the west, and when the wind plays nice, this place really turns it on. The water temp is sittin’ around 57°, which is pretty much spot on for the time of year, so nothin’ to be alarmed about there.
Alright, we get goin’ on Wednesday the 22nd. It’s small and clean – only 3ft to 4ft from the WSW, with glassy conditions. Nice for a cruisey session on a longboard, but not gonna get the heart pumpin’. The combined energy is moderate, around 227.
Thursday the 23rd sees a step up. Morning glass is gone, replaced by a clean 5ft WSW swell with a 13-second period. The cross-off wind at 6 mph has it lookin’ tidy, and the energy’s ramped up into the moderate-to-strong bracket at 929. This is a solid morning session. The afternoon gets messy with rain showers and a cross-on wind, so get out early.
Friday the 24th is a write-off. That north-west wind at 12-16 mph is blowin’ cross-on and choppin’ it all up. Swell’s there at 7ft, but it’s a short-period 8 seconds and onshore. Kite surfers might get a look, but for us paddle folk? No thanks.
Saturday the 25th is a flat-out no-go. We’re talkin’ 16ft of raw west swell, with a 25 mph cross wind. The energy is massive at 6248, but it’s a dangerous, messy mess. Stay on the beach. Sunday the 26th is where we calm down. The morning’s still big at 8ft with a cross-off wind, so it’s clean but powerful. But the real standout is Sunday afternoon. That’s your window. It drops to 7ft from the west, 14-second period, and glassy. This is pure, clean power. The combined energy is still strong at 1755, but it’s lined up perfectly. For experienced surfers, this is the one. Absolute best on offer.
Monday the 27th keeps the clean theme goin’ in the morning with a 6ft west swell and offshore wind. Good stuff. Tuesday the 28th is a smaller, cleaner option with 5ft and offshore wind, but it’s nothin' to write home about. Then we hit a rough patch from Wednesday the 29th through Thursday the 30th. Strong cross-onshore winds and big, unruly west swell – 10ft to 12ft. Just ugly. That Thursday afternoon is too big even for this spot.
Now here’s your second standout. Friday the 31st is an absolute beauty. This is the other best window. Friday morning sees 8ft from the WSW, 14-second period, glassy conditions, and a combined energy of 2553. This is big, clean, and powerful – perfect for experienced surfers. Friday afternoon calms down a touch to 7ft, still glassy, and still excellent. Two sessions, both mint.
After that, things start to mellow out. Saturday the 1st of August is a small, clean morning at 4ft. Sunday the 2nd is a nice little surprise – only 3ft, but a 15-second period from the WSW and glassy, so it’ll have a nice shape. Monday the 3rd is a real treat: 3ft but an *18-second* period under offshore wind. That’s a very long-period groundswell for a relatively small wave, so at Tauranga Bay it’ll be like surfing on a slow-motion roller, best on the point. The energy’s strong at 1157. Then from Tuesday the 4th through Thursday the 6th, we’ve got smaller surf, mostly clean but with increasing cross-off wind from the northeast. The swell’s there but it’s not gonna set the world on fire. Thursday the 6th gets blown out with fresh breeze.
So to wrap it up: Sunday the 26th afternoon and Friday the 31st are your absolute standout days. Don’t miss ‘em. Keep an eye on that long-period swell on the 3rd for a mellow but beautifully shaped session on the point.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 46mm), heaviest during Fri night. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu night, min 9°C on Fri night). Mainly near gales. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Very mild (max 10°C on Sat morning, min 5°C on Sun morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSW on Sat morning, calm by Sun afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | |||||||||||||||
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 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | NW 8 | NW 8 | WSW 16 | W 12 | W 16 | W 15 | W 14 | W 14 | W 13 | W 12 | W 12 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
138 | 387 | 975 | 929 | 659 | 273 | 533 | 581 | 1892 | 6248 | 4629 | 4166 | 2137 | 1755 | 1325 | 918 | 792 | 485 | 451 | 396 | 374 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | off | off | cross | off | off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:47PM2.30m | 5:14AM2.24m | 5:48PM2.23m | 6:18AM2.18m | 6:51PM2.22m | 7:22AM2.19m | 7:51PM2.27m | 8:19AM2.27m | 8:42PM2.37m | 9:07AM2.37m | 9:28PM2.49m | 9:50AM2.48m | 10:08PM2.60m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:32AM0.69m | 11:00PM0.79m | 11:29AM0.81m | 00:03AM0.86m | 12:32PM0.87m | 1:07AM0.87m | 1:33PM0.85m | 2:06AM0.81m | 2:28PM0.78m | 2:57AM0.71m | 3:16PM0.67m | 3:41AM0.59m | 3:58PM0.56m | ||||||||
7:52 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | |
— | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 2 | 10 | 5 | 11 | 18 | 1 | — | 1 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 11 |
Feels °C | 10 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | W 7 | NW 8 | NW 8 | WSW 16 | — | W 16 | W 15 | W 14 | W 14 | W 13 | W 12 | W 12 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 |
138 | 387 | 975 | 929 | 659 | 159 | 533 | 581 | 1892 | — | 4629 | 4166 | 2137 | 1755 | 1325 | 918 | 792 | 485 | 451 | 396 | 374 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 5 | WSW 15 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | WSW 13 | W 10 | WSW 12 | NW 8 | — | W 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 18 | SW 16 | — | WSW 16 |
16 | 84 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 273 | 407 | 373 | 163 | — | 1418 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 10 | — | 144 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 15 | N 10 | — | — | — | — | WSW 12 | W 18 | N 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
73 | 17 | — | — | — | — | 202 | 156 | 108 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 6 | — | — | — | W 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 65 | — | — | — | 6248 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 261 | 57 | 199 | 149 | 4 | 169 | 77 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 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.










