Surf Forecasts:
Tauranga Bay surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 6s period, NNE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 6s period, N swell with 202 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 29 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 6s period with NNE 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 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 14s. 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 Saturday (Aug 29) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 2s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tauranga Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Tauranga Bay. I’ve got to be straight with you – this is one of those stretches where the ocean is being real stingy. The whole 16-day window is pretty much a write-off for anything decent. We’ve got a long, flat gap starting right now, so don’t bother waxing up just yet.
The water temp is sitting at 60°, which is about what you’d expect for this time of year. Nothing wild there.
We start off with almost nothing. Monday the 24th of August has tiny dribbles around 0.3ft to 0.7ft. There’s a bit of glass early Tuesday morning, but with that kind of size, it’s barely a ripple. The combined energy is next to nothing (8 to 22), so it’s a hard pass.
Wednesday the 26th and Thursday the 27th are much the same story – ankle-slappers at best. The swell direction is all over the shop, mostly from the NE or NNE, but the period is around 10 seconds, which is average. The winds are light to moderate, but there’s no push in the water.
Friday the 28th sees a slight bump in height, up to 3ft to 3ft, but it’s a short-period windswell (4 to 5 seconds) coming from the north, with onshore winds. That’s going to be a messy, choppy mess. Energy kicks up a bit (50 to 60), but it’s low-quality stuff.
Saturday the 29th of August is the biggest we see, with the morning showing 4ft from the NNE, and the combined energy hitting 202 – that’s moderate wave energy. But the period is a short 6 seconds, and the morning has a light cross-onshore wind. It’s still labelled as poor surf conditions. The afternoon clears up and goes cross-offshore, but the swell drops back to 4ft and the energy falls off (119). This is the closest we get to anything, but it’s far from a standout. It’s a beach-and-reef setup, so with a short-period, weaker swell and onshore wind, you’d honestly be better off looking for a kite session if that’s your thing.
Sunday the 30th through to the end of the first week, we’ve got 1ft to 3ft leftovers with clean conditions but just no power. Energy stays in the low three-digit or high two-digit range. Tuesday the 1st of September is similar, with clean offshore winds but the swell just doesn’t have any grunt.
The second week is even more barren. From Wednesday the 2nd of September onward, the swell drops to 1ft to 2ft with mostly clean but strong to fresh winds. Energy levels fall into the double digits (32 to 62). The last few days show a little bump on Saturday the 5th of September with a 3ft NW windswell, but the wind is cross-on and fresh, so it’s choppy and unattractive. It never gets good.
There are no true standouts here. The only period that even offers a flicker of hope is Saturday the 29th of August with that 4ft morning pulse, but the short period and the wind conditions ruin it. For beginners, the surf never gets big enough to be dangerous, but it also never gets good enough to be worth the paddle.
For a spot like Tauranga Bay that can be fairly consistent, this is an unusually blank run. Forecasts can change, but right now, you’re better off doing something else.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon afternoon, min 11°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Fri night. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri morning, min 11°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | N 13 | E 12 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | E 12 | NNE 10 | NNE 10 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | N 5 | N 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NE 10 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
12 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 20 | 25 | 35 | 111 | 143 | 110 | 64 | 144 | 126 | 109 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-on | off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 8:37AM2.31m | 9:03PM2.44m | 9:20AM2.37m | 9:42PM2.49m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 2:37PM0.62m | 3:04AM0.62m | 3:16PM0.58m | ||||||||
6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | |
— | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:04 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 8 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 13 |
Feels °C | 14 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 5 | NE 12 | NW 5 | NE 11 | NE 11 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NNE 10 | NNE 10 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 7 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 |
5 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 143 | 110 | 57 | 144 | 126 | 109 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | E 12 | NE 10 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | NE 10 | E 10 | — | E 12 | E 12 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 14 | NE 12 | NE 10 | E 13 | E 12 | — |
12 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 64 | 3 | 3 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 11 | N 13 | E 12 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | E 12 | E 12 | E 13 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 11 | E 11 | E 15 | NW 7 | E 13 | E 13 | NW 6 | SE 12 | E 12 |
5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 55 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NNW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | NW 2 | NW 3 | — | NNW 2 | N 3 | N 4 | N 5 | N 6 | — | — | S 2 | — | SW 2 | SW 2 |
— | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | 1 | 3 | 25 | 35 | 111 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 113 | 518 | 92 | 60 | 113 | 60 | 112 | 112 | 60 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 3 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Northland | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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











