
Surf Forecasts:
Tawharanui surf forecast from 11 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 13 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 7s period, NE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 12 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 8s period, NE swell with 354 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 13 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 7s period with NE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Tawharanui this week:
The surf forecast for Tawharanui over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 13) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Tawharanui in the next 16 days are 1.8m 8s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 5s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3PM (Thu 13th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 3PM (Thu 13th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Wed 12th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tawharanui over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, grab your wettie and listen up. It’s Rusty here, and I’ve got the lowdown for Tawharanui. To be straight with you, the next couple of weeks are looking pretty bleak. We’ve got a whole heap of small, weak surf and a lot of onshore wind early on. It’s not going to be pretty.
The only window where you might get a wave to yourself is Thursday morning, the 13th. We’re looking at 3ft of NE swell with a 7-second period. The combined energy is weak at 86. But the wind goes glassy, and that’s a big deal. It’ll be clean, but the swell is weak, so it’s only really for logging or a fish. It’s a far cry from what we want.
After that, Friday the 14th has a tiny 2ft of swell in the morning with glassy conditions, but it’s marginal at best. Then we drop right off. From the 15th through to the 26th, it’s a desert. The swell fades to almost nothing, with most days showing under 2ft. There’s plenty of offshore wind in there, especially from the 16th onward, but it’s blowing over a flat ocean. You could paddle around all day and not get a single ride. The energy numbers are rock bottom, often dropping into single digits.
The water temp is 58°, which is about average for this time of year, so the 4/3 will do.
Basically, if you’re desperate, get out Thursday morning on the 13th. Otherwise, save your energy. This looks like a blank stretch. It’s a tough one, but that’s the reality of it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Wed morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu morning, min 12°C on Tue afternoon). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the ENE on Tue night, calm by Thu night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat afternoon, min 7°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the ESE on Fri afternoon, fresh winds from the SSW by Mon morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | ||||||||||||||
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) | N 9 | N 9 | NE 7 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 8 | NE 10 | ENE 7 | NE 9 | NE 9 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ESE 8 | E 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
240 | 151 | 327 | 316 | 244 | 188 | 73 | 37 | 37 | 28 | 58 | 32 | 37 | 27 | 21 | 21 | 60 | 21 | 13 | 12 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | off |
High Tide | 5:45PM2.59m | 6:08AM2.53m | 6:38PM2.70m | 7:03AM2.61m | 7:29PM2.78m | 7:54AM2.67m | 8:17PM2.81m | 8:44AM2.69m | 9:04PM2.80m | 9:32AM2.69m | 9:50PM2.75m | 10:19AM2.64m | 10:35PM2.67m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:11AM0.62m | 12:33PM0.44m | 1:07AM0.52m | 1:27PM0.36m | 1:58AM0.45m | 2:16PM0.32m | 2:46AM0.41m | 3:01PM0.33m | 3:32AM0.40m | 3:45PM0.39m | 4:15AM0.43m | 4:28PM0.49m | ||||||||
— | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | |
5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | |
mm | — | — | 4 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 10 |
Feels °C | 9 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 14 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 9 | N 9 | N 12 | N 12 | — | — | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 8 | NE 10 | ENE 7 | NE 9 | ESE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ESE 8 | E 8 |
240 | 151 | 3 | 3 | — | — | 73 | 37 | 37 | 28 | 58 | 32 | 37 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 60 | 21 | 13 | 12 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 11 | N 13 | — | — | E 14 | — | ESE 6 | NE 9 | E 6 | E 6 | E 7 | E 13 | ESE 7 | NE 9 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 9 | SE 7 | ENE 8 | E 14 |
2 | 3 | — | — | 4 | — | 10 | 22 | 7 | 13 | 14 | 3 | 17 | 27 | 9 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 7 | 4 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | E 11 | — | — | — | N 11 | E 13 | ESE 6 | E 15 | E 15 | E 14 | ESE 7 | E 13 | E 13 | NE 10 | — | — | — | E 15 | — |
3 | 2 | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | — | — | — | 4 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | ENE 4 | NE 7 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 2 | — | SW 4 | SW 4 | S 4 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | S 4 |
— | 11 | 327 | 316 | 244 | 188 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 21 | 17 | 31 | 52 | 166 | 102 | 41 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 64 | 64 | 67 | 64 | 67 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 1 | 44 | 48 | 22 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Northland | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Tawharanui Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Tawharanui provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Tawharanui can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Tawharanui 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 (Tawharanui) 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 Tawharanui 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.
Tawharanui is 48 km (30 miles) from the city of Northshore. If you plan a holiday in Northland, look for hotels and other accommodation in Northshore. Northshore has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











