
Surf Forecasts:
Tauranga Bay surf forecast from 11 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 17 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 9s period, ESE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 17 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 9s period, ESE swell with 576 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 12 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s period with NNE 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 (Aug 12) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m and 7s. 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 2.0m 9s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 3s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 16) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12PM (Wed 12th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Mon 17th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Mon 17th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tauranga Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a good look at the charts for Tauranga Bay over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a slow burner, but there are a couple of moments that’ll get the heart rate up. The water’s sitting at 61°F, which is about normal for this time of year, so a decent steamer is still the go.
The week starts off a bit messy. Tuesday afternoon is pretty average, with a small 5ft swell but a cross-off wind that’s making things lumpy. Not worth rushing out for.
Wednesday morning gets a little bigger, pushing 6ft, but that easterly wind is side-shore and making a mess of it. The better call is Wednesday afternoon. The wind drops right out to a light breeze and it cleans up, with a 4ft NNE swell. It’s not big, but the conditions should make it worth a paddle.
Thursday and Friday are a bit ordinary. The swell drops right back to under 3ft, with the odd glassy patch, but it’s all a bit lackluster. You’ll get a wave but nothing to write home about.
The weekend is pretty tiny. Saturday and Sunday are small, with swells barely pushing 2ft. There’s clean conditions, but there’s just no push to it. You’ll be floating around more than surfing.
Now, here’s where things get interesting. Monday the 17th is the standout of this run. The swell fills in to 5ft from the ESE, with a period of 9 seconds. What really sells it is the wind – a clean, gentle offshore breeze from the south all day. The combined energy is a solid 377, which is a strong pulse of wave energy. It won’t be too big, so it’s still manageable for a lot of folks, but it’ll be the best shape and power we’ve seen all week. This is the day to get on it.
After that, it fades again pretty quickly. Tuesday the 18th has some fun lines with a long-period 16-second swell, but it’s barely 1ft. Not really surfable. There’s a little kick on Wednesday the 19th with a 4ft ESE swell, but the wind turns cross-shore in the arvo and kills it.
From the 20th onwards, it’s a waiting game. The swell just keeps dropping out. We see a few pulses of energy from very long-period swells (12-16 seconds), but the height is just so tiny – 0.6ft to 2ft – that there’s nothing to ride. The energy readings are real weak, dipping down into the 15-30 range. For a spot like this, this kind of flat spell is pretty normal. It’ll be a case of watching the charts and hoping one of those long-period pulses gets some size to it. It’s a quiet stretch, but it never stays flat forever.
Alright, keep an eye on that Monday. That’s your window.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat morning, min 8°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | ||||||||||||||
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 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
311 | 254 | 179 | 140 | 91 | 86 | 67 | 110 | 115 | 73 | 74 | 53 | 41 | 21 | 21 | 89 | 576 | 176 | 90 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | glassy | glassy | glassy | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:06AM2.42m | 7:43PM2.61m | 8:04AM2.48m | 8:36PM2.68m | 8:58AM2.53m | 9:25PM2.71m | 9:48AM2.57m | 10:11PM2.71m | 10:36AM2.57m | 10:54PM2.66m | 11:20AM2.55m | 11:37PM2.58m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:50AM0.63m | 1:15PM0.41m | 1:48AM0.53m | 2:08PM0.33m | 2:41AM0.44m | 2:57PM0.30m | 3:31AM0.38m | 3:44PM0.33m | 4:17AM0.37m | 4:30PM0.40m | 5:01AM0.41m | 5:15PM0.52m | |||||||
— | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 12 |
Feels °C | 12 | 12 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 8 | NNE 8 | E 7 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 9 | NE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | E 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 |
311 | 254 | 131 | 140 | 91 | 86 | 67 | 110 | 115 | 73 | 74 | 53 | 41 | 21 | 19 | 89 | 363 | 176 | 90 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 12 | NW 12 | NNE 8 | E 7 | E 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | E 6 | ESE 7 | E 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 8 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | — | NE 9 | ENE 10 |
3 | 6 | 179 | 57 | 27 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 18 | 12 | 7 | 24 | 21 | 21 | 21 | — | 14 | 11 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | N 12 | NW 11 | NW 10 | NE 10 | NW 8 | E 15 | E 15 | NW 6 | E 14 | E 13 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | — | E 15 | E 15 |
— | — | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 15 | 13 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 3 | — | 4 | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 2 | SSW 2 | SSW 3 | SW 3 | — | — | ESE 9 | — | — |
— | 96 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 576 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 60 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Northland | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Latest Updates
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











