Tauranga Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Look, I've got to be straight with you—Tauranga Bay is looking pretty ordinary for the next 16 days. The whole run is a bit of a dud, and we've got to ride it out. The first wave that's even worth a mention doesn't show up until Saturday the 12th of September, so that's over a week of flat, messy conditions to get through first.

Starting from today, Tuesday the 1st of September, it's all poor. Swell is tiny, mostly around 1ft to 2ft from the NE, but the wind is a messy cross-off or cross-shore, and the energy is weak as—down in the 80s and 40s. It's small, choppy, and just not worth paddling out for. This carries on day after day. Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th see a bit more size, with Friday afternoon hitting 4ft from the NW, but the period is a shocking 5 to 6 seconds and the wind is cross-on at 16 mph, so it's blown-out slop. The energy bumps up to 121 for that session, but it's still poor. The weekend of the 5th and 6th stays small and messy, and Sunday the 6th afternoon even brings 4ft but with a 4-second period from the NNW and 19 mph cross-on wind—that's just a washing machine. Not surfable.

Then we hit a gap of a few more poor days, with Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th offering clean conditions but barely any swell—0.7ft to 2ft. The energy is in the teens and thirties. It's glassy on Tuesday morning, but you'd be floating on a lake.

Finally, Saturday the 12th of September rolls around. This is the first day we get a "surfable" rating, even if it's ordinary. The morning has 2ft from the NNE with a 7-second period, light cross-off wind from the SW at 9 mph, and energy of 96. It's clean, but small. The afternoon improves a bit: 4ft from the NE, 9-second period, light cross-off wind from the SSW at 6 mph, and energy of 211. That's a moderate energy bump, and the waves will have a bit more shape, but it's still "very ordinary."

Sunday the 13th is the best on offer for the whole forecast. The morning is glassy—completely calm wind at 0 mph from the WSW—and you get 3ft of NE swell with an 8-second period. Energy is 136, so moderate. The conditions are glassy, so it'll be clean as a whistle. This is the standout session: head out early, it'll be a fun little wave for beginners and intermediates. The swell is only 3ft, so it's not too big for anyone, and the NE direction is right in the sweet spot for this break. It is consistent, so there'll be waves to ride.

From there, Monday the 14th morning is also glassy with 2ft from the NE and energy of 105, but the afternoon turns onshore and choppy again. The rest of the second week fades back into tiny, poor surf with onshore winds and energy dropping into the 30s and 40s. No other standouts.

So, bottom line: we've got over a week of rubbish, then a decent window from Saturday the 12th to Monday the 14th morning, with Sunday the 13th morning being the best for sure. After that, it's back to the couch. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no wetsuit issues. Stay patient, and keep an eye on the forecasts—it tends not to stay this poor for long.

Rusty.

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