Tauranga Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 35.00° S 173.83° E

Tauranga Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 06 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Tauranga Bay sea temperature is
16.0°C
0.7° 

Tauranga Bay surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Tauranga Bay surf forecast from 6 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 9 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 1ft (0.3m), 16s period, NE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 8s period, NW swell with 653 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 9 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 1ft (0.3m), 16s period with NE 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 (Sep 09) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.3m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 9s. 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 2.3m 8s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 12) at 12PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 9PM (Wed 9th Sep)1ft (0.3m) 16s
Best Surf 9PM (Wed 9th Sep)1ft (0.3m) 16s
Most Powerful12PM (Mon 7th Sep)7.5ft (2.3m) 8s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tauranga Bay over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Hey folks, Rusty here. Looking at the next few weeks, I gotta be straight with you – it's a rough patch for Tauranga Bay. The whole 16-day window is pretty much a write-off for decent surf. We've got a long stretch where the conditions just aren't coming together, so don't be holding your breath for a quick fix.

Starting off the forecast, we've got nothing on offer. Sunday the 6th is a total no-go, with a tiny 1.0ft swell from the ENE and a cross-on wind making it choppy and messy. The energy is weak at just 37. Monday the 7th actually sees a big jump in size – up to 8ft – but that's paired with a strong 25 mph cross-on wind and a weak, short-period 8-second swell. The combined energy hits 1155, but it's all wind and no shape. That's a mess for any surfer, and honestly, for a beach setup like this, it's looking more like a kiteboarding day than a paddle session.

The pattern doesn't improve. Tuesday the 8th and Wednesday the 9th offer clean conditions with light offshore winds, but the swell is barely there – 3ft at best, dropping to 0.7ft. The energy is weak (113 and 24). For the rest of the first week and into the second, we're stuck in a rut. From Thursday the 10th all the way through to Monday the 21st of September, the swell is consistently tiny, mostly 1.0ft to 1ft, with a long period of 12-15 seconds from the NE. That long period at a beach break like this tends to make it break straight and gutless. The energy levels are pathetic, mostly under 100. The wind is often clean, but there's just no wave to work with.

There is one faint glimmer at the very end. On Saturday the 19th of September, we see a bump in size to 4ft from the NW, but it's a short-period 6-second swell. The energy is moderate (139), and the wind is offshore from the SW, making it clean. On Sunday the 20th and Monday the 21st, the swell holds around 3ft to 5ft, but the wind swings cross-on and cross-shore, chopping it up. Even that last day, Monday the 21st, with a 5ft swell and 218 energy, is ruined by a 22 mph cross-shore wind.

So, what's the call? There's no standout here. The best of a bad bunch is probably the morning of Saturday the 19th of September. It's a long way out, so don't bank on it, but if the forecast holds, you'll have clean 3ft to 4ft waves from the NW. It's still short-period, so it won't be world-class, but it's the only window where you might get a few fun ones without getting blown off the water. For a beginner spot, this is the only time the size is safe. But honestly, it's a long wait for not much. The water temp is 61°, which is about average for this time of year, so at least you won't be freezing while you're waiting for waves that aren't coming.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Very mild (max 17°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NW on Sun night, light winds from the SSW by Tue night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Thu night. Very mild (max 15°C on Wed morning, min 9°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed morning, fresh winds from the WNW by Thu afternoon).

Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
Friday
11
Saturday
12
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
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)
0.3
ENE
10
0.8
NW
4
1.3
NNW
5
2
NNW
7
1.6
NNW
8
1.5
NW
8
0.7
NNW
8
0.6
NNW
7
0.3
NW
8
0.2
ENE
10
0.3
NE
15
0.3
NE
16
0.3
NE
14
0.4
NE
15
0.4
NE
14
0.3
NE
13
0.4
NE
13
0.4
NE
13
0.4
NE
13
0.4
NE
13
0.4
NE
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
18
20
90
418
315
289
65
43
9
9
37
40
30
56
73
27
45
61
44
44
41
Wind (km/h)
20
NW
25
NW
30
NW
25
NW
25
WNW
25
W
20
SW
15
SSW
5
SSW
5
SSW
15
NW
10
SW
15
WNW
35
NW
15
WSW
30
SW
30
SW
30
W
30
SW
30
WSW
25
WSW
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
3:17PM2.33m
3:36AM2.27m
4:25PM2.34m
4:46AM2.27m
5:30PM2.40m
5:54AM2.31m
6:29PM2.48m
6:53AM2.37m
7:23PM2.56m
7:47AM2.45m
8:12PM2.61m
8:37AM2.51m
8:58PM2.63m
Low Tide
9:22PM0.82m
9:51AM0.67m
10:31PM0.78m
10:58AM0.62m
11:36PM0.70m
12:02PM0.54m
00:35AM0.60m
12:58PM0.45m
1:29AM0.50m
1:48PM0.38m
2:19AM0.42m
2:34PM0.37m
clear
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
thunderstorm
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
light rain
rain showers
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:37
6:35
6:35
6:33
6:31
6:30
6:28
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:08
6:08
6:09
6:10
6:10
6:12
6:13
 mm
5
3
1
2
8
Temp °C
15
16
16
16
15
14
16
17
11
15
15
11
15
15
11
13
14
13
14
14
12
Feels °C
11
12
12
12
10
9
12
13
9
14
12
8
9
9
7
6
6
7
7
8
6
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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 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 Northland? If you are looking for accommodation near Tauranga Bay, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Northland, consider staying in Houhora which is 71 km (44 miles) away. Alternatively, find information about places to stay and car hire in Whangarei which is 93 km (58 miles) away

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