Surf Forecasts:
Tauranga Bay surf forecast from 12 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 17 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 9s period, SE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 17 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 9s period, SE swell with 547 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 13 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 8s 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 Thursday (Aug 13) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 7s. 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 1.9m 9s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 6s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Mon 17th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Mon 17th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tauranga Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with you – the next couple of weeks at Tauranga Bay are a proper mixed bag, and you’re gonna have to pick your moments. The water’s sitting at 61°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing weird going on there.
We start off on Wednesday the 12th with a bit of a thundery feel and a 7ft ENE swell, but it’s short-period stuff at 7 seconds and cross-shore wind. The combined energy is moderate (771), but it’s messy and not really worth paddling out for – the conditions are marginal.
Thursday the 13th is a better bet if you’re an early bird. The morning brings a clean 3ft NE swell with a light offshore WSW breeze. It’s small, but the surface will be glassy. The energy is weak (125), so you’ll be working for it, but it’s surfable. The afternoon turns choppy as the wind swings NW, so don’t bother.
The standout for the whole period is Monday the 17th. That morning, a 5ft ESE swell rolls in with a clean 15 mph offshore from the south. The energy jumps to 337 (moderate), and the wind is offshore, so the faces will be clean and lined up. This is the one to aim for – it’s not too big for a confident intermediate, but it’s got enough push to get you excited. The afternoon drops a bit to 4ft but stays offshore, so you could get a solid session in.
After that, it fades fast. Tuesday the 18th through to the 22nd is a stretch of tiny, weak surf – mostly under 2ft with energy in the teens and twenties. Not worth a look. Then from the 23rd, the wind turns nasty, blowing onshore and strong, with heavy rain and a 6ft cross-on mess on the 25th. That’s kite-surfing weather, not paddle surfing.
The only other flicker is on the 27th, where we get a 3ft NE swell with clean cross-off breezes, but the energy is still low (124) and the wind is strong (18-22 mph), so it’s more of a side-shore groomer than a proper session.
So, bottom line: if you’re keen, get out there on Monday the 17th. That’s your winner. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too messy to bother.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Tue morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat afternoon, min 8°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ENE 7 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 9 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | E 8 | E 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 407 | 143 | 82 | 77 | 101 | 110 | 94 | 87 | 55 | 40 | 36 | 71 | 94 | 106 | 337 | 207 | 80 | 40 | 56 | 64 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 7:43PM2.61m | 8:04AM2.48m | 8:36PM2.68m | 8:58AM2.53m | 9:25PM2.71m | 9:48AM2.57m | 10:11PM2.71m | 10:36AM2.57m | 10:54PM2.66m | 11:20AM2.55m | 11:37PM2.58m | 12:03PM2.49m | 00:19AM2.48m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:48AM0.53m | 2:08PM0.33m | 2:41AM0.44m | 2:57PM0.30m | 3:31AM0.38m | 3:44PM0.33m | 4:17AM0.37m | 4:30PM0.40m | 5:01AM0.41m | 5:15PM0.52m | 5:44AM0.49m | 6:00PM0.65m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  |  | | | |  | | | | | | | | |  | | | |
 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — |
 | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — |
mm | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 11 |
Feels °C | 17 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 9 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | E 8 | E 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 |
| kJ | 230 | 143 | 82 | 77 | 101 | 110 | 94 | 87 | 55 | 40 | 36 | 71 | 94 | 106 | 337 | 207 | 80 | 40 | 56 | 64 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 7 | E 7 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 7 | E 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | NE 9 | — | ENE 11 | ENE 10 | ESE 12 | NE 10 | ESE 13 |
| kJ | 131 | 88 | 39 | 26 | 18 | 12 | 12 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 26 | 20 | 31 | 14 | — | 11 | 9 | 14 | 4 | 17 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 12 | NW 11 | NW 10 | NW 9 | NW 8 | E 15 | E 15 | E 14 | N 5 | ESE 8 | E 8 | — | NE 10 | — | — | — | N 11 | ENE 10 | E 14 | NE 9 |
| kJ | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 22 | — | 15 | — | — | — | 2 | 9 | 4 | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 3 | SSW 3 | SSW 3 | SSW 3 | SW 3 | SSE 6 | S 4 | — | SW 3 | — | — | S 3 |
| kJ | 407 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 39 | 9 | — | 2 | — | — | 1 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 29 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 65 | 0 |
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
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