Tauranga Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 35.00° S 173.83° E

Tauranga Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 am 05 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Tauranga Bay sea temperature is
15.8°C
0.6° 

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 4 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 8 Sep, 3PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 7s period, NNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 8 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 8s period, NW swell with 593 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 3PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 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 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m 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 2.1m 8s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 6AM. 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 6s period and expected on Friday (Sep 11) at 3AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 3PM (Tue 8th Sep)3ft (0.9m) 7s
Best Surf 3PM (Tue 8th Sep)3ft (0.9m) 7s
Most Powerful 6AM (Tue 8th Sep)7ft (2.1m) 8s

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


The Lowdown

G'day, Rusty here. We've got a flat spell on the horizon for the whole 16-day window. The only spot with any real potential is Tauranga Bay, but it's a serious case of "right place, wrong time." The water temp is sitting at 60°F, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The outlook starts with a real whimper on Saturday, September 5th. We've got tiny 1ft NE swell with a 10-second period, and that's barely a ripple. The cross-off wind keeps it looking clean, but with combined energy at just 35, it's not worth paddling out for. Sunday is even smaller, dropping to 1.0ft, and the wind swings cross-on, making it choppy and messy.

Monday, September 7th, is where things get a bit interesting. The swell jumps to 7ft from the NNW, but it's short-period windswell at just 7 seconds. The combined energy hits 361 (moderate), but the wind is howling at 19 mph from the WNW, making it a cross-on mess. The rain and risk of thunderstorms don't help. That 7ft is pushing into the "too big for beginners" zone, but with that wind, it's not for anyone.

Tuesday, September 8th, the swell drops to 4ft from the NW, still short-period at 8 seconds. The wind goes cross-off in the morning, so the surface is clean, and combined energy is 201 (moderate). It's surfable, but the conditions are still very ordinary. Not a standout.

The rest of the week is a write-off. Wednesday through to the next weekend, we're looking at tiny swell, mostly under 2ft, with very weak combined energy (between 16 and 96). The wind is all over the place, but the swell just isn't there. There's a brief pulse on Monday, September 14th, with a 4ft NW swell, but the period is only 7 seconds, and the wind is cross-off again. It's clean, but not special.

The real kicker is that the longer-period swells (13-15 seconds) that show up from September 11th are all tiny, around 1.0-1ft. That's a groundswell with no energy behind it. The best look is probably Tuesday, September 8th, morning, with that 4ft cross-off swell. It's clean, but it's still a mediocre wave. For a beginner, that might be the pick of the bunch, but it's not a day to call in sick for.

Honestly, this is a blank run. The forecast is poor across the board, and the consistent pattern of small, weak, or wind-affected swell means I'd be looking at other plans. The forecasts can change, but as it stands, don't hold your breath.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Mon morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Sat morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the WSW on Sat morning, fresh winds from the NNW by Sun night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Tue morning, min 10°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed morning, fresh winds from the W by Thu afternoon).

Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
Friday
11
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
1
0
1
0
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)
0.4
NE
10
0.4
NE
11
0.3
ENE
10
0.3
ENE
10
0.3
ENE
9
1.3
NNW
5
2
NNW
7
1.6
NNW
8
2.1
NW
8
1.2
NW
8
0.9
NNW
7
0.6
NNW
7
0.4
NNW
6
0.3
NE
9
0.3
NE
16
0.3
NE
14
0.4
NE
15
0.4
NE
14
0.3
NNE
15
0.4
NE
13
0.4
NE
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
25
29
19
18
16
80
353
270
557
187
78
36
13
13
40
30
55
53
42
46
46
Wind (km/h)
5
WSW
15
W
5
SW
15
NW
25
NW
30
NNW
30
WNW
25
W
20
W
20
WSW
15
SW
10
SSW
10
SSE
10
NNW
10
SW
15
W
35
W
20
WSW
25
WSW
35
WSW
25
SW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
2:09PM2.36m
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
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
rain showers
mod rain
thunderstorm
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:39
6:37
6:35
6:35
6:33
6:31
6:30
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:07
6:08
6:08
6:09
6:10
6:10
6:12
 mm
1
8
2
Temp °C
16
17
14
15
15
16
16
17
14
17
17
12
16
14
12
15
14
11
15
15
13
Feels °C
13
13
12
11
11
12
11
13
10
14
14
10
14
12
9
10
7
5
8
8
8
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Tauranga Bay:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Tauranga Bay surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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

Nearest locationNearest