Tauranga Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here, and we're looking at the local stretch, Tauranga Bay. It's a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks, with a few quiet days to start and some real promise later on. The water is sitting at 16°, which is right around where it should be for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

For the first few days, it's pretty flat and ordinary. Wednesday the 22nd has a tiny 2ft easterly swell, but it's got no grunt behind it. The combined energy of all swells directed here is a weak 64, and the period is a short 6 seconds. Not worth getting wet for. It stays like that for a few days, with nothing really happening until Friday afternoon. On Friday the 24th, a sloppy NNW windswell bumps up to 4ft, but it's a messy 5-second period, and the wind is a fresh 19 mph cross-onshore, making it ugly. The combined energy jumps to 127, but it's not for surfing. It's more of a kite-surfing breeze.

Then we get a bit of a lull again. Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th see some cleaner conditions with offshore winds, but the swell is small and inconsistent. There's a bit more energy in the water on Saturday morning with a combined energy of 250, but it's only 2ft from the east with a 12-second period. It's clean, but there's just not enough size.

The real standout comes in the second week. Keep an eye on Tuesday the 28th. The morning session looks good with a 3ft easterly groundswell, a solid 14-second period, and light cross-offshore winds. The combined energy of all swells is a healthy 348, and it's glassy clean. This is a promising run for the early birds. The same pattern holds for Wednesday the 29th morning, with similar conditions and a combined energy of 331. It's a bit of a run of good, clean, long-period swell.

Now, the real highlight, the one that has me a bit excited. Saturday the 1st of August afternoon sees a sudden jump in size. We're looking at a 8ft swell from the southeast, with a combined energy of 1595. That's a lot of power. But here's the thing – at 8ft, this is for experienced surfers only. The wind is a moderate 12 mph cross-off, so it should be reasonably clean. This is the biggest chunk of energy in the whole forecast.

Then on Sunday the 2nd of August, it's still solid. The morning sees a 6ft easterly swell with a combined energy of 713, and the wind is a light offshore from the south. That's a cracking morning for the experts. The period is 11 seconds, so it's a proper groundswell. This is the best window for the whole outlook.

Overall, the early part of the week is a write-off, but the second half of the forecast and into August has some real quality. If you're a beginner, steer clear of that 8ft day on the 1st. For everyone else, the mornings of the 28th and 29th of July, and the 2nd of August, are your best bets. Expect crowds at Tauranga Bay as it's a consistent spot, but it'll be worth it for those clean, offshore sessions.

Stay stoked, Rusty.

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