Tauranga Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 35.00° S 173.83° E

Tauranga Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 15 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Tauranga Bay sea temperature is
16.4° 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 15 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 17 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 17s period, E swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 17 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 17s period, E swell with 273 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 17 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 19s period with ESE 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 (Jul 17) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 19s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 4s. 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 0.7m 17s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 17) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)12AM (Fri 17th Jul)1.5ft (0.4m) 19s
Best Surf12PM (Fri 17th Jul)2.5ft (0.7m) 17s
Most Powerful12PM (Fri 17th Jul)2.5ft (0.7m) 17s

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 Tauranga Bay has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, we’re looking at a pretty quiet stretch. The water is sitting at 62°F which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no surprises there. The first few days are a bit of a write-off, with tiny swell and poor conditions. Wednesday the 15th and Thursday the 16th are flat and messy, so don’t bother rushing down. You’ll be staring at a lake.

Friday the 17th morning is where we finally see a flicker of life. The swell bumps up to a knee-high 2ft from the east, with a period of 17 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy, and you’ll feel it. The combined energy reads 219 (moderate) and the wind is light and cross-offshore, cleaning things up nicely. It’s not big, but for a beginner-friendly spot like this, those long-period lines will offer up some fun, shapely waves. The swell direction is east-southeast, which isn’t the optimum northeast, but it’s still okay. This is the best on offer in the first week, but it’s nothing to write home about. Crowds are rare here, so you’ll have plenty of room.

Saturday the 18th stays similar – knee-high, clean, with offshore breeze in the morning. The swell is still east-southeast with a 14-second period, and the energy is moderate at 226. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. Sunday the 19th morning sees offshore wind with a 2ft southeast swell, still clean but small.

Monday the 20th is a write-off again – light rain and onshore winds, lumpy and cross. Not worth it.

Tuesday the 21st morning brings a brief pulse of 4ft, but it’s short-period windswell at just 6 seconds, so it’ll be soft and disorganised. The wind is offshore though, so it’ll be clean, but the wave quality is poor. That’s the most size we see, but it’s not the good stuff.

Things go quiet again from the 22nd through the 25th – tiny, weak, and mostly not worth paddling out for.

Then on Sunday the 26th morning, we get a bit of a surprise. A 5ft swell from the northwest, but again the period is short at 7 seconds. The energy is moderate at 214 and the wind is cross-offshore, keeping it clean. This is the biggest swell of the whole run, but it’s short-period windswell, so it’ll be a bit lumpy and won’t have the push of a proper groundswell. For a beginner break, this is about as big as you’d want to go, and it’s only for the more experienced beginners. This is the second standout.

After that, it’s all downhill. The last few days of the month and into the 30th are tiny, weak, and mostly cross or onshore winds. The 30th sees a 2ft easterly swell with a 10-11 second period, but the wind is cross or cross-offshore, and the energy is only moderate. It’s not good.

Truth is, there’s no real firing session in the next 16 days. The best bets are Friday the 17th morning for the cleanest, longest-period waves, and Sunday the 26th morning for the most size. Even then, it’s all pretty ordinary. Keep your expectations low and you might score a few fun ones.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu afternoon, min 11°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Mon morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun afternoon, min 11°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light.

Wednesday
15
Thursday
16
Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
AM
PM
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
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
1
1
1
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.3
ESE
10
0.3
ESE
10
0.3
ESE
11
0.3
ESE
10
0.2
E
13
0.4
ESE
19
0.6
E
17
0.7
ESE
16
0.7
ESE
15
0.7
ESE
14
0.6
ESE
14
0.5
ESE
14
0.5
ESE
14
0.4
ESE
14
0.4
ESE
13
0.4
ESE
12
0.9
ESE
7
1.2
E
6
1.2
E
6
1
ENE
6
0.8
ENE
6
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
20
21
23
22
13
119
215
269
246
218
160
116
115
61
57
52
79
106
104
72
36
Wind (km/h)
5
SSW
10
NW
5
SW
5
SW
15
WNW
10
SW
10
SW
10
NW
10
SSW
5
SSW
10
SW
10
SW
10
SSW
10
SSE
15
SE
25
E
20
E
15
SSE
15
SSE
10
ESE
10
S
Wind State
glassy
cross-on
glassy
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
off
cross-off
off
High Tide
8:55PM2.71m
9:15AM2.54m
9:47PM2.75m
10:09AM2.55m
10:36PM2.74m
11:00AM2.54m
11:23PM2.69m
11:48AM2.50m
00:10AM2.61m
12:35PM2.45m
00:56AM2.52m
1:23PM2.37m
1:42AM2.42m
Low Tide
2:24PM0.30m
2:59AM0.45m
3:17PM0.27m
3:53AM0.40m
4:07PM0.29m
4:43AM0.38m
4:56PM0.36m
5:31AM0.40m
5:44PM0.47m
6:18AM0.47m
6:32PM0.60m
7:04AM0.55m
7:21PM0.74m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
light rain
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:30
7:28
7:28
7:28
7:28
7:28
7:26
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:30
5:30
5:31
5:32
5:32
5:34
5:35
 mm
1
6
2
Temp °C
14
15
14
16
17
15
15
16
13
13
15
13
15
16
13
14
14
12
12
13
11
Feels °C
13
13
13
15
14
14
14
14
12
11
13
10
13
13
10
9
9
9
9
10
8
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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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