Tauranga Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 35.00° S 173.83° E

Tauranga Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 pm 31 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Tauranga Bay sea temperature is
16.0°C
0.8° 

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 31 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 4 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period, NW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 6s period, NW swell with 109 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 4 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period with NW 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 Friday (Sep 04) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 10s. 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 1.2m 6s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 6AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 9PM (Fri 4th Sep)3ft (0.9m) 6s
Best Surf 9PM (Fri 4th Sep)3ft (0.9m) 6s
Most Powerful 9PM (Sun 6th Sep)4ft (1.2m) 6s

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


The Lowdown

G'day, Rusty here. Look, I've got to be straight with you—Tauranga Bay is looking pretty ordinary for the next 16 days. The whole run is a bit of a dud, and we've got to ride it out. The first wave that's even worth a mention doesn't show up until Saturday the 12th of September, so that's over a week of flat, messy conditions to get through first.

Starting from today, Tuesday the 1st of September, it's all poor. Swell is tiny, mostly around 1ft to 2ft from the NE, but the wind is a messy cross-off or cross-shore, and the energy is weak as—down in the 80s and 40s. It's small, choppy, and just not worth paddling out for. This carries on day after day. Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th see a bit more size, with Friday afternoon hitting 4ft from the NW, but the period is a shocking 5 to 6 seconds and the wind is cross-on at 16 mph, so it's blown-out slop. The energy bumps up to 121 for that session, but it's still poor. The weekend of the 5th and 6th stays small and messy, and Sunday the 6th afternoon even brings 4ft but with a 4-second period from the NNW and 19 mph cross-on wind—that's just a washing machine. Not surfable.

Then we hit a gap of a few more poor days, with Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th offering clean conditions but barely any swell—0.7ft to 2ft. The energy is in the teens and thirties. It's glassy on Tuesday morning, but you'd be floating on a lake.

Finally, Saturday the 12th of September rolls around. This is the first day we get a "surfable" rating, even if it's ordinary. The morning has 2ft from the NNE with a 7-second period, light cross-off wind from the SW at 9 mph, and energy of 96. It's clean, but small. The afternoon improves a bit: 4ft from the NE, 9-second period, light cross-off wind from the SSW at 6 mph, and energy of 211. That's a moderate energy bump, and the waves will have a bit more shape, but it's still "very ordinary."

Sunday the 13th is the best on offer for the whole forecast. The morning is glassy—completely calm wind at 0 mph from the WSW—and you get 3ft of NE swell with an 8-second period. Energy is 136, so moderate. The conditions are glassy, so it'll be clean as a whistle. This is the standout session: head out early, it'll be a fun little wave for beginners and intermediates. The swell is only 3ft, so it's not too big for anyone, and the NE direction is right in the sweet spot for this break. It is consistent, so there'll be waves to ride.

From there, Monday the 14th morning is also glassy with 2ft from the NE and energy of 105, but the afternoon turns onshore and choppy again. The rest of the second week fades back into tiny, poor surf with onshore winds and energy dropping into the 30s and 40s. No other standouts.

So, bottom line: we've got over a week of rubbish, then a decent window from Saturday the 12th to Monday the 14th morning, with Sunday the 13th morning being the best for sure. After that, it's back to the couch. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no wetsuit issues. Stay patient, and keep an eye on the forecasts—it tends not to stay this poor for long.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun afternoon, min 11°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WSW on Sat morning, fresh winds from the NW by Sun afternoon).

Tuesday
1
Wednesday
2
Thursday
3
Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
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
0
0
0
0
0
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)
0.6
NE
10
0.6
NE
10
0.5
NE
10
0.5
NE
9
0.4
NE
9
0.4
NE
9
0.3
NE
8
0.4
NE
10
0.4
NE
10
0.4
NE
10
0.4
NE
10
1.2
NW
6
0.4
NE
10
0.4
NE
10
0.4
NE
11
0.3
ENE
10
1
NNW
4
1.3
NNW
6
1.1
NW
7
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
59
76
45
42
21
19
11
25
27
27
33
86
24
25
29
19
35
107
100
Wind (km/h)
25
WSW
20
WSW
20
SW
10
W
5
W
20
W
10
WSW
15
WNW
20
WNW
20
NW
25
WNW
25
WNW
15
SW
5
WSW
15
WNW
10
W
25
NNW
30
NW
25
WSW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
High Tide
10:24PM2.52m
10:46AM2.47m
11:06PM2.51m
11:31AM2.49m
11:52PM2.48m
12:18PM2.47m
00:40AM2.44m
1:10PM2.42m
1:33AM2.38m
2:09PM2.36m
2:31AM2.31m
3:17PM2.33m
Low Tide
4:26AM0.54m
4:39PM0.60m
5:08AM0.54m
5:26PM0.65m
5:54AM0.56m
6:18PM0.71m
6:45AM0.60m
7:13PM0.76m
7:42AM0.65m
8:15PM0.81m
8:44AM0.67m
9:22PM0.82m
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
rain showers
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:43
6:43
6:41
6:39
6:39
6:37
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:05
6:06
6:06
6:07
6:07
6:08
 mm
1
3
3
Temp °C
14
16
16
13
15
17
14
15
16
16
16
16
15
15
16
14
16
17
16
Feels °C
9
11
11
11
12
12
11
11
12
12
11
13
14
13
12
10
12
12
11
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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