Tauranga Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s happening at Tauranga Bay over the next couple of weeks.

First thing – the surf is pretty much flat and funky for a long spell. From Wednesday the 29th of July through to Saturday the 8th of August, there’s hardly anything worth paddling out for. The swell stays tiny, from about 0.7 ft to 3 ft, with short periods and mostly crossed-up or onshore winds making a mess of things. The combined swell energy is low, often under 100, and even when it bumps up a little around the 2nd of August, the period is just 8 seconds – all chop, no push. I’d say save your wax.

But hold onto your board, because things go from zero to hero starting Sunday the 9th of August. A big east-northeast swell shows up and it builds fast. Sunday morning brings 8 ft of swell, period 8 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 1001 – that’s moderate to strong. Wind is offshore from the south-southeast at 18 mph, so it’ll be clean. By Sunday afternoon, the swell hits 10 ft, period 9 seconds, energy surging to 1645, with light cross-off winds from the south-southwest. That’s big, powerful surf – definitely for experienced surfers only, as anything over 8 ft is expert territory.

The absolute standout is Monday the 10th of August. Monday morning delivers a massive 13 ft of east-northeast swell, with a long period of 12 seconds, and combined energy screaming at 3813. Wind is cross-off from the south-southwest at 15 mph, keeping conditions clean. That’s heavy groundswell – perfect for Tauranga Bay’s setup. For the advanced crew, this is the session to aim for. Expect long lulls between sets, but when they come, they’ll be meaty.

Tuesday the 11th of August holds strong – 10 ft swell in the morning, period 12 seconds, energy at 2108, and clean offshore from the south-southeast at 15 mph. Excellent conditions for experienced surfers. Afternoon drops to 8 ft but stays clean. Wednesday the 12th of August is still solid with 7 ft to 8 ft east-northeast swell, period 11 seconds, and light cross-off winds.

Water temperature is sitting at 61°F at the start, only about 1°F above the long-term average – pretty normal for this time of year.

Tauranga Bay is usually a consistent, beginner-friendly break, but this big swell window is strictly for the experienced. Crowds are rare, so you could have it mostly to yourself.

That late run from the 9th to the 12th of August is your only real window. After that, the swell gets messy with onshore winds on the 13th, and quality tanks.

Lock in Monday the 10th of August – that’s the one to chase. Long-range, so treat it as a promising lead but not a lock.

Rusty.

Read more