Surf Forecasts:
Tauranga Bay surf forecast from 13 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 14 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 10s period, NE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 17 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 9s period, ESE swell with 165 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 14 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 10s 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 Friday (Aug 14) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Tauranga Bay in the next 16 days are 1.0m 9s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 8s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3PM (Fri 14th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 3PM (Fri 14th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Mon 17th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tauranga Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for Tauranga Bay.
We’ve got a bit of a quiet spell to start, then things start to build, but the real standout is tucked away in the second week. The water’s sitting at 61°, which is about average for this time of year, right where you’d expect it.
The first bit of rideable surf shows up on Thursday, 14 August. Friday morning’s looking at 3ft of NE swell, with a period of 10 seconds, and a light offshore wind from the ESE. That’ll be clean, but it’s pretty small. The wave energy is moderate, sitting at 124. Friday afternoon, the wind goes glassy—dead calm—which is a treat, but the swell’s only 2ft. Nice for a longboard or a learner if you’re patient.
We hit a real dry patch from Saturday the 15th through to Monday the 24th. Lots of days with poor conditions, small swell, and mostly weak energy readings in the double digits. There’s a brief flash on Monday the 17th with 5ft of ESE swell and a fresh 30 km/h offshore wind, which sounds promising on paper. The energy jumps to 309, which is moderate, but the period’s only 8 seconds, and the overall quality is described as marginal. It’ll be clean, but not a classic.
Then, the real highlight. Tuesday, 25 August – mark it in your calendar. The morning brings 8ft of NNE swell, period 8 seconds, with a moderate cross-offshore breeze. The combined wave energy is a massive 728 – that’s strong to very strong. This is solid, powerful surf. At 8ft, this is getting into expert-only territory. It’s big, it’s got punch, and it’ll be clean. This is the one to wait for. The afternoon stays solid at 6ft NE, still clean, with energy at 384.
After that, it fades off back into the small stuff through to the end of the 16-day window.
So, the call: Friday the 14th for small clean waves, but the absolute standout is Tuesday morning, 25 August. That’s your session.
– Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat morning, min 9°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the S on Fri afternoon, fresh winds from the SSW by Sun night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Wed afternoon, min 9°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | SE 7 | SE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
108 | 94 | 88 | 74 | 99 | 92 | 51 | 51 | 39 | 116 | 124 | 42 | 33 | 97 | 54 | 18 | 32 | 45 | 13 | 15 | 26 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | glassy | off | off | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 9:25PM2.71m | 9:48AM2.57m | 10:11PM2.71m | 10:36AM2.57m | 10:54PM2.66m | 11:20AM2.55m | 11:37PM2.58m | 12:03PM2.49m | 00:19AM2.48m | 12:46PM2.41m | 1:01AM2.38m | 1:32PM2.31m | 1:44AM2.28m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:57PM0.30m | 3:31AM0.38m | 3:44PM0.33m | 4:17AM0.37m | 4:30PM0.40m | 5:01AM0.41m | 5:15PM0.52m | 5:44AM0.49m | 6:00PM0.65m | 6:27AM0.60m | 6:45PM0.79m | 7:12AM0.73m | 7:32PM0.91m | ||||||||
7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | |
— | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:55 | — | |
mm | 2 | 7 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 10 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 13 |
Feels °C | 14 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 7 | 12 | 14 | 9 | 13 | 11 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | E 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 6 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 |
108 | 94 | 88 | 74 | 99 | 92 | 51 | 51 | 39 | 116 | 124 | 42 | 16 | 71 | 20 | 17 | 32 | 45 | 13 | 15 | 26 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 7 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | E 9 | ESE 10 | SE 15 | E 14 | ESE 10 | ESE 12 | SE 12 | E 12 | E 14 | NE 10 |
18 | 19 | 29 | 36 | 52 | 38 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 33 | 8 | 15 | 18 | 15 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 4 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 15 | N 4 | NW 6 | NNW 6 | E 13 | E 13 | SE 9 | WNW 5 | ESE 9 | — | E 15 | NE 11 | E 15 | NE 10 | NE 11 | ESE 13 | NE 10 | NE 10 | E 10 | NE 10 | E 14 |
4 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 7 | — | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SSE 3 | SSW 3 | SSW 3 | SW 3 | SW 3 | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 | SSW 3 | SSE 2 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SSW 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 19 | 15 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 97 | 54 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 3 | 134 | 0 | 15 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 60 | 52 | 60 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Northland | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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











