Tauranga Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Tauranga Bay.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are lookin’ pretty grim for a proper paddle. This ain’t one of those times where you’re gonna be spoilt for choice. The swell is small and the wind is mostly in the wrong quarter. You’ll be waitin’ a while for anything decent.

We start off on Friday, September 4th. It’s a no-go. The swell is a weak 3 ft from the NW, period is a short 5 seconds, and the wind is a cross-onshore at 16 mph. The wave energy is barely there (62), and it’s just choppy and messy. The afternoon gets a bit bigger to 4 ft, but that wind picks up to 19 mph, making it lumpy. Not worth the wetsuit.

Saturday the 5th is a bit of a tease. The morning goes glassy with a light offshore from the SW at 3 mph, and the swell is a tiny 1 ft from the NE. It’s clear and clean, but there’s just no push. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so you won’t freeze, but you’ll be starvin’ for a wave. The afternoon sees the wind swing back onshore, killin’ any chance.

Sunday the 6th is more of the same – small, weak, and cross-onshore. The swell energy is only 36-42. It’s flat.

Now, Monday the 7th looks a bit more interesting, but not for the right reasons. The swell jumps up to 6 ft from the NNW, and the energy ramps up to 427. That’s a significant jump in power. But the wind is fresh cross-onshore at 19 mph, and it’s likely to be a lumpy, choppy mess. The period is a short 8 seconds, so it’s not gonna be well-shaped. It’s lookin’ more like a kite session than a surf session, to be honest.

Tuesday the 8th is the first time we see a glimmer of hope. The morning swell drops to 3 ft from the NNW, but the wind turns cross-offshore from the SW at 9 mph. The wave energy is low (95), but the conditions are clean. It’s rated as “surfable but very ordinary” – and that’s about the best we get. The afternoon goes fully offshore, but the swell drops to 2 ft.

From the 9th to the 15th of September, it’s a long, flat stretch. The swell stays tiny, mostly 1 ft to 1 ft from the NE. The wind is often cross-offshore or clean, but with no size or power, it’s just a lake. The wave energy is in the 40-80 range. You’re better off doin’ something else.

There is a blip on Wednesday the 16th. The morning shows a 6 ft swell from the NW with a short 7-second period and energy of 359. The wind is cross-shore at 9 mph. This is the biggest swell of the whole period, but it’s a short-period windswell, and the conditions are only “marginal.” The afternoon drops off again.

The last chance is on Friday the 18th. The afternoon picks up a 6 ft swell from the NNW with a 6-second period, with an energy of 283. But again, the wind is cross-onshore and choppy. Not a great way to end the run.

So, what’s the best on offer? Honestly, if you’re desperate, the cleanest window is Tuesday morning the 8th. It’s not big, but the cross-offshore wind will make the 3 ft surf smooth. The other standout is Wednesday the 16th morning for the biggest swell, but it’s not clean. If you’re a beginner, even the 6 ft on Monday the 7th is too big for you, and the 6 ft on the 16th is also on the bigger side. For experts, the 6 ft to 6 ft days are the only ones with any grunt, but the wind is cruel.

Look, it’s a tough run. The forecast can change, but as it stands, you’re lookin’ at a lot of small days and a couple of messy ones. Keep your eye on the 8th morning for a clean, small session, and the 16th morning if you just want to get wet in something with a bit of power.

Stay tuned, and keep your fingers crossed for a change.

Rusty

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