Tawharanui Surf Break

Lat Long: 36.37° S 174.84° E

Tawharanui Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 am 17 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Tawharanui sea temperature is
14.8° C
0.4° 

Tawharanui surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Tawharanui surf forecast from 16 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 17 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 17s period, E swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 17 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 17s period, E swell with 92 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 17 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 17s period with E 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 Friday (Jul 17) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Tawharanui in the next 16 days are 0.4m 17s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 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 0.6m 3s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 18) at 6PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)12PM (Fri 17th Jul)1.5ft (0.4m) 17s
Best Surf12PM (Fri 17th Jul)1.5ft (0.4m) 17s
Most Powerful12PM (Fri 17th Jul)1.5ft (0.4m) 17s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tawharanui over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up.

To be honest, the next 16 days are a bit of a flat spell for Tawharanui. There’s nothing really firing, but there are a few windows where you can get a wet suit on and have a paddle, even if it’s not going to set the world on fire.

We start off this Friday, the 17th of July, with a tiny bit of energy. The swell is coming from the East at a mere 1ft, but the period is a very long 17 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, but it’s just so small. The water temp is sitting at 15°, which is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual there. The wind is a cross-offshore from the WSW on Friday morning, turning fully offshore in the afternoon. It’ll be clean, but you’ll be scratching for waves. The combined energy is weak, at about 96-92, so it’s not going to push you around.

Saturday the 18th is more of the same – offshore winds keep things glassy, but the swell drops to 1ft and then 1.0ft with the energy dropping to 75 and then 41. It’s clean, but very ordinary.

Then we hit a real lull. From Sunday the 19th all the way through to Thursday the 30th of July, the surf is almost non-existent. Swell heights are below 2ft, periods are all over the place, and the combined energy sinks into the single digits at times. There are some days with offshore winds, but it’s just not enough to push a wave. It’s a solid week and a half of poor conditions.

The first glimmer of something a bit more interesting shows up on Friday the 31st of July. The morning brings a 3ft swell from the NNW with a period of just 5 seconds – that’s short period windswell, so it’ll be a bit bumpy. The wind is cross-offshore, so it’ll be clean. The combined energy jumps to 90, which is still weak. It’s a far cry from good, but it’s the best we’ve seen in a while.

The weekend of the 1st of August tries to build a little. The swell hits 4ft on Saturday morning, but the wind is a light cross-onshore, making it messy. The energy is 127, which is still only moderate. The afternoon gets ugly with a 22 mph cross-shore wind from the ESE, making it choppy and lumpy. The wave period is a pathetic 6 seconds, so it’s really just a mess. This setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, if you’re into that.

So, the only real standout, if you can call it that, is the morning of Friday the 31st of July. The winds will be clean, and you’ll find a few small, crumbly waves. It’s not a classic Tawharanui day, but it’s the only chance to get wet without getting blown off the water. Don’t get your hopes up for the rest of it.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri morning, min 11°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon afternoon, min 11°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
E
17
0.4
E
17
0.4
E
16
0.4
E
15
0.3
E
15
0.3
E
14
0.2
E
14
0.2
E
13
0.2
E
13
0.2
E
12
0.2
E
12
0.2
E
12
0.2
E
11
0.5
ESE
4
0.4
E
5
0.3
E
6
0.3
E
5
0.2
E
5
0.1
N
10
0.1
N
10
0.1
N
9
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
93
89
75
72
38
36
16
14
13
12
11
11
10
10
9
5
5
2
2
2
2
Wind (km/h)
15
WSW
20
SW
15
WSW
15
WSW
20
WSW
20
WSW
20
WSW
25
SW
15
WSW
10
W
10
S
10
SE
20
ESE
15
E
5
WNW
10
W
15
WSW
10
W
10
W
10
WNW
15
WNW
Wind State
cross-off
off
off
off
off
off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
9:05AM2.67m
9:30PM2.81m
9:56AM2.66m
10:19PM2.77m
10:46AM2.62m
11:07PM2.71m
11:34AM2.56m
11:53PM2.61m
12:22PM2.48m
00:40AM2.50m
1:11PM2.38m
1:27AM2.39m
2:02PM2.28m
2:18AM2.28m
Low Tide
3:24PM0.27m
3:58AM0.40m
4:11PM0.33m
4:46AM0.43m
4:58PM0.44m
5:34AM0.49m
5:46PM0.58m
6:21AM0.57m
6:38PM0.71m
7:09AM0.67m
7:32PM0.82m
7:57AM0.76m
8:27PM0.90m
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:28
7:28
7:26
7:26
7:26
7:24
7:24
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:24
5:24
5:25
5:27
5:27
5:28
5:29
 mm
3
Temp °C
14
14
12
13
13
13
14
14
13
14
15
13
13
13
13
14
15
13
14
15
13
Feels °C
11
10
9
9
9
8
9
9
10
11
13
11
10
10
12
11
12
11
13
13
11
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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