
Surf Forecasts:
Tauranga Bay surf forecast from 21 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 27 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 13s period, ESE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 14s period, ESE swell with 443 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period with E 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 (Jul 21) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 11s. 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 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 6s period and expected on Monday (Jul 27) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Tue 21st Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Mon 27th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tauranga Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at our 16-day window for Tauranga Bay. To be straight with you, it’s a pretty bleak run for most of it. We’ve got a massive gap in quality surf, so don’t get your hopes up for the next week and a half. The first real day that’s worth paddling out doesn’t even show up until Tuesday the 28th.
For the first week, it’s a whole lot of nothing. We’ve got tiny, weak swell with poor conditions, and the wind is consistently ruining any chance of a wave. A few mornings around the 22nd and 23rd have clean-ish skies, but the swell is so small and weak (energy readings down in the teens and twenties) it’s barely a ripple. Then from the 24th, the wind really cranks up, smashing what little swell there is into a mess. By Friday the 25th, we get a bit of a long-period groundswell pushing through, but the energy is only moderate (144–157) and it’s still getting hammered by a fresh breeze, so it’s not surfable. The same goes for the weekend – more energy, but the wind is just too strong and cross. It’s a frustrating wait.
Finally, on Tuesday the 28th of July, things start to come together. This is the standout. The morning has a clean 3.3ft east-southeast swell, with a long 14-second period, and light offshore winds from the southwest. The energy is strong at 412, and it’s glassy. The afternoon is even better – the wind goes glassy, and the swell stays solid at 3.3ft, with the energy jumping to 447. The water temp is sitting at 61.7°, which is about normal for this time of year. This is the day to score. It’s not huge, but it’ll be clean and fun for a beginner to intermediate, especially with that long period giving the waves some shape.
Wednesday the 29th still has some clean glassy conditions in the morning, but the swell drops back to 2.6ft, and the energy is lower (236). It’s surfable, but nothing special. The wind swings onshore in the afternoon, so get it early.
The 31st of July sees a big jump in size – a 9.8ft swell – but it’s a total disaster. The wind is howling cross-onshore at 15 mph, and the energy is extreme (2050), but the conditions are just plain ugly. That’s a kite-surfing day, not a paddle day.
We get one more chance on Sunday the 2nd of August. The afternoon has a clean 4.9ft northwest swell with a moderate offshore wind. The energy is solid (326), and it’s clean. The period is only 8 seconds, so it’s a bit of a short-period windswell, but it’s the best option in the second week. It’s still a week and a half away, so keep an eye on it, but it looks promising.
So, to sum it up: the 28th of July is your best bet. It’s not a pumping day, but it’s the only day where everything lines up for a really clean, fun session. The rest is a long stretch of waiting. Don’t bother with the rest until you see the forecast change.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue morning, min 10°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri morning, min 10°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NW on Fri afternoon, light winds from the WSW by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 7 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | E 8 | NNW 6 | NNW 8 | E 10 | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | E 12 | E 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
92 | 62 | 47 | 31 | 22 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 16 | 12 | 202 | 161 | 71 | 136 | 123 | 86 | 66 | 113 | 117 | 176 | 290 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off |
High Tide | 1:23PM2.37m | 1:42AM2.42m | 2:13PM2.30m | 2:28AM2.32m | 3:08PM2.23m | 3:16AM2.24m | 4:06PM2.19m | 4:08AM2.17m | 5:03PM2.18m | 5:03AM2.12m | 5:56PM2.19m | 5:58AM2.11m | 6:46PM2.22m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:21PM0.74m | 7:52AM0.66m | 8:11PM0.86m | 8:42AM0.76m | 9:05PM0.96m | 9:34AM0.83m | 10:02PM1.02m | 10:27AM0.88m | 10:59PM1.04m | 11:22AM0.89m | 11:53PM1.02m | 12:16PM0.85m | 00:42AM0.97m | ||||||||
7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | |
— | 5:35 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 3 | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 9 |
Feels °C | 11 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | ESE 5 | E 5 | E 6 | ENE 7 | E 6 | E 8 | NNW 8 | NW 7 | E 12 | E 11 | NW 7 | NW 7 | E 12 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 13 |
27 | 25 | 47 | 31 | 22 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 16 | 7 | 34 | 161 | 43 | 136 | 123 | 71 | 47 | 113 | 99 | 71 | 290 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 6 | N 7 | N 7 | NNE 7 | ESE 11 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | NE 7 | ESE 10 | E 8 | SE 11 | E 11 | E 10 | NW 7 | NW 16 | E 11 | E 11 | NW 7 | E 13 | ESE 13 | E 7 |
3 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 12 | 5 | 81 | 71 | 16 | 10 | 86 | 66 | 16 | 117 | 176 | 24 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 8 | NE 8 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | NNE 7 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | NE 8 | NE 8 | — | — | E 13 | NW 11 | NW 12 | E 16 | ESE 15 | NW 12 | NNW 7 | E 9 | — |
3 | 3 | 24 | 24 | 5 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 3 | 2 | — | — | 30 | 5 | 6 | 21 | 23 | 5 | 4 | 6 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 7 | E 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 4 | NNW 6 | W 4 | WSW 3 | WSW 3 | WNW 6 | W 3 | WSW 3 | SE 3 | SSE 3 | — | — |
92 | 62 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 202 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 23 | 5 | 9 | 4 | 3 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 21 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 119 | 65 | 60 | 65 | 113 | 112 | 518 | 116 | 518 | 548 | 9 | 276 | 263 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 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)
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










