Tauranga Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 35.00° S 173.83° E

Tauranga Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 pm 22 Aug 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 22 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 6s period, NE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 28 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 6s period, NNW swell with 182 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 29 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 6s period with NE 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 Saturday (Aug 29) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 6s. 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 1.6m 6s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.2m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 12AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 9PM (Sat 29th Aug)2ft (0.6m) 6s
Best Surf 9PM (Sat 29th Aug)2ft (0.6m) 6s
Most Powerful 9PM (Fri 28th Aug)5ft (1.6m) 6s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cooking for Tauranga Bay over the next couple of weeks. I've gotta be straight with you, it's a pretty quiet stretch ahead. The first solid recommendation doesn't pop up until we're well into the period, so we're looking at a long gap of small, messy, or flat days before anything really gets going.

Starting from Sunday the 23rd of August, it's a write-off. We've got a weak 2ft NW windswell with a short, choppy period of just 4 to 5 seconds, and a cross-onshore breeze making a mess of things. The wave energy is low, sitting around 21 to 49, and conditions are poor. Not worth paddling out for.

That theme continues through Monday and Tuesday the 24th and 25th. Tiny ankle-biters, even if the wind goes offshore or glassy, the swell just isn't there to ride. We get a bit of glass on Wednesday morning the 26th, but again, it's barely a ripple – basically a lake. This run of nothing really extends all the way through to the end of the month.

Now, towards the end of the first week and into the second, we start to see a pulse of energy, but the wind is the enemy. Friday the 28th sees a bump in size to 3ft to 4ft from the north, with wave energy climbing to 148. But it's onshore, rainy, and messy. Not your friend.

The first real window of hope arrives on Saturday the 29th of August. The swell is still modest at 3ft from the NE, but we get a clean, cross-offshore wind from the SW. The wave energy is a solid 120 (moderate). This is the best we've seen. The consistency at Tauranga Bay is good, and it's a beginner-friendly spot, so this could be a fun morning for a learner or someone on a longboard.

That cleaner trend continues into Sunday the 30th. The morning looks good with a 3ft NE swell, a period of 10 seconds, and clean cross-off winds. Wave energy hits 182, which is the strongest of the run so far. This is a standout window. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing too wild. Keep in mind, the optimum swell direction is NE, so this is right in the groove.

Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 1st of September offer more of the same – 2ft to 3ft NE swell with clean morning conditions. The wave energy stays in the moderate range (113 to 139). It's consistent, but nothing huge.

Then things get a bit lumpy again mid-week with stronger cross-onshore winds and a smaller, shorter-period swell. The end of the forecast window, around the 4th and 5th of September, shows a bit more size (4ft to 5ft) but it's from the NW with a short period and onshore winds, so expect chop. The energy spikes up to 215 on Friday afternoon, but it's messy. For a beach setup like this, that kind of onshore wind and short period makes it more of a kite-surfing session than a clean paddle surf.

So, to wrap it up: the standout mornings are Sunday the 30th of August, and then Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 1st of September. Clean, consistent, waist-to-chest high NE swell. It's not going to blow your mind, but for a beginner or someone wanting a cruisy session, that's your window. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too far away to get excited about just yet.

Stay tuned, forecasts can change. This is Rusty, signing off.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun afternoon, min 12°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri morning, min 12°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed morning, fresh winds from the N by Fri afternoon).

Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
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)
0.2
ESE
9
0.6
NW
4
0.9
NW
5
0.2
E
13
0.2
E
12
0.2
E
12
0.1
E
12
0.1
E
13
0.1
E
13
0.1
E
13
0.1
E
12
0.2
NNE
10
0.2
NNE
8
0.4
NE
8
0.3
NE
7
0.4
NE
9
1
N
5
1.3
N
6
1.2
N
6
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
8
11
35
13
12
12
4
4
4
4
4
10
6
18
9
21
54
106
112
Wind (km/h)
15
WNW
25
WNW
25
WNW
10
SSW
10
SSW
15
NNW
10
S
5
SW
15
NW
10
SSW
5
SW
15
NNW
5
WSW
10
NW
15
NNW
15
N
25
N
25
N
35
NW
Wind State
cross
cross-on
cross-on
off
off
cross-on
off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
cross-on
on
on
on
on
cross-on
High Tide
3:22AM2.11m
4:22PM2.13m
4:21AM2.07m
5:19PM2.14m
5:24AM2.07m
6:11PM2.19m
6:19AM2.10m
6:58PM2.24m
7:08AM2.16m
7:41PM2.31m
7:53AM2.24m
8:23PM2.38m
Low Tide
9:19PM1.07m
9:46AM0.97m
10:19PM1.09m
10:44AM0.97m
11:17PM1.05m
11:43AM0.93m
00:09AM0.98m
12:34PM0.85m
00:57AM0.89m
1:19PM0.76m
1:41AM0.80m
1:59PM0.68m
2:24AM0.70m
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
rain showers
light rain
mod rain
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:56
6:54
6:52
6:52
6:50
6:50
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:59
5:59
6:00
6:00
6:00
6:01
 mm
3
2
7
4
Temp °C
13
15
16
14
14
15
13
15
16
13
15
16
14
14
14
15
17
15
15
Feels °C
9
11
12
12
13
11
10
13
12
10
13
13
13
12
11
13
12
10
11
  • 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