Surf Forecasts:
Tauranga Bay surf forecast from 5 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 8 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 7s period, NNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 7s period, NW swell with 508 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 7s period with NNW 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 Tuesday (Sep 08) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 10s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 3s is also forecast. 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 7s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 6s period and expected on Friday (Sep 11) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Tue 8th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Tue 8th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tauranga Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it. The forecast is pretty bleak for Tauranga Bay over the next sixteen days. There’s nothing on offer to start with, and honestly, it’s a long stretch of small, weak, or messy conditions. The first real chance to even talk about waves comes on Wednesday the 9th of September, and even then, it’s barely worth paddling out for.
The run from now until Tuesday the 8th is a total write-off – tiny swells, cross-shore winds, and a lot of chop. You’re looking at a gap of nearly five days with nothing to get excited about. Then on Wednesday morning, the 9th, there’s a tiny 1.0ft northeast groundswell with a very long 15-second period, and the wind goes glassy in the afternoon. The combined wave energy is very weak (59). It’s surfable, but only just. The water temperature is sitting at 61°, which is about normal for this time of year. For a beginner-friendly break like Tauranga Bay, this is a day for the longboard if you’re desperate. But honestly, it’s not a standout.
The next few days after that don’t get any better. Thursday the 10th and Friday the 11th bring tiny 1.0ft to 1ft NE swells, but the wind is either cross or cross-off and moderate. The energy stays low – between 45 and 113. Clean conditions on the 11th and 12th with cross-off winds, but the swell is just too small to do anything with. This pattern holds all the way through to the 15th of September. Small, clean, but flat.
Then on the 16th of September, we see a bit of a bump: a 4ft northwest swell, but it’s short-period at 6 seconds, and the wind is cross-shore with a cross-chop. The energy is moderate (133), but the quality is poor. Not worth the drive.
The only thing that might turn a head is the very last day of the forecast, the 20th of September. A tiny, insignificant 0.3ft northeast swell with a long 11-second period, but the wind is light and cross-onshore. The combined energy is laughably low (8). There’s nothing here for a surfer.
So, to be straight with you – there’s no standout session in this 16-day window. The whole period is a bust. Tauranga Bay is a consistent spot generally, but this run is a proper dry spell. Keep an eye on the forecasts, because it tends not to stay this poor for long.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat night, fresh winds from the NW by Sun night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue afternoon, min 10°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed afternoon, fresh winds from the WSW by Thu afternoon). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | ||||||||||||||
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 11 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | NW 4 | NNW 5 | NW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 8 | N 8 | N 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 6 | NE 15 | NE 16 | NE 14 | NE 15 | NE 14 | NE 13 | NE 13 | NE 13 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 29 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 83 | 508 | 249 | 267 | 45 | 26 | 26 | 14 | 37 | 40 | 30 | 56 | 53 | 27 | 45 | 44 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:31AM2.31m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:15PM0.81m | 8:44AM0.67m | 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 | |||||||
 |  | |  |  |  |  | | | | | | |  |  | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — |
 | 6:07 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:10 | — | — | 6:10 | — | — | 6:12 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 13 |
Feels °C | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 11 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | NNW 7 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | N 8 | N 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NE 9 | ENE 8 | NE 15 | NE 9 | ENE 10 | NE 13 | NE 13 |
| kJ | 29 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 277 | 8 | 8 | 40 | 26 | 26 | 14 | 13 | 20 | 24 | 56 | 22 | 18 | 45 | 44 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 5 | NW 5 | NW 19 | NW 18 | W 18 | ENE 9 | — | E 16 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NE 17 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | NW 6 | NE 14 | NE 8 | NE 14 | NW 6 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 |
| kJ | 3 | 3 | 14 | 13 | 6 | 8 | — | 5 | 45 | 15 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 30 | 15 | 53 | 10 | 18 | 9 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 10 | NW 17 | N 10 | N 10 | N 10 | — | E 18 | — | NE 10 | NE 10 | ENE 10 | NE 15 | NE 15 | NE 16 | NNW 6 | ENE 10 | NNE 15 | NE 13 | WNW 6 | NW 20 |
| kJ | 2 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 6 | — | 4 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 37 | 40 | 4 | 9 | 23 | 27 | 4 | 16 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 2 | — | NW 3 | NW 4 | NNW 5 | NW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 8 | WSW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | W 2 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WSW 3 | WSW 3 | W 3 |
| kJ | 1 | — | 1 | 16 | 83 | 508 | 249 | 267 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 33 | 50 | 7 | 8 | 11 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 65 | 544 | 538 | 538 | 547 | 125 | 10 | 43 | 3 | 17 | 10 | 60 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 531 | 10 |
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
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