
Surf Forecasts:
Tawharanui surf forecast from 10 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 10 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 8s period, N swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 12 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 8s period, NE swell with 330 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 10 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 8s period with N 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 Monday (Aug 10) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Tawharanui in the next 16 days are 1.6m 8s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 6s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Mon 10th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Mon 10th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Wed 12th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tawharanui over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Righto, let’s have a look at what Tawharanui’s got cookin’ for us over the next couple of weeks.
First up, we’ve got a bit of a slow start. The real action doesn’t kick off until Monday morning, August 10th. Before that, it’s flat and quiet, so don’t bother paddling out.
Monday morning’s looking like the clear standout of the whole run. We’ve got a clean 5ft swell coming from the north, with a light offshore breeze from the southwest. That’s proper glassy conditions, and the water temp is sitting at 58°F, which is pretty much spot-on for this time of year – no surprises there. The combined energy is a moderate 269, so there’s enough push to get into some fun ones. This is about as good as it gets in this window. Monday afternoon, the swell drops to 4ft, but the wind swings to a light offshore from the west-southwest, so it’ll still be clean, just a bit smaller.
Tuesday morning stays clean with a 4ft north swell and a cross-offshore breeze from the southeast. It’s not a standout, but it’s surfable. The energy drops to 159, so it’ll be weaker. By Tuesday afternoon, the wind turns cross-onshore, and the quality goes downhill fast.
From Wednesday through to the end of the first week, we’re looking at onshore winds, messy conditions, and poor surf quality. Wednesday morning has a lumpy 5ft northeast swell but with a strong onshore breeze – that’s gonna be a choppy, blown-out mess. The combined energy is 333, which is moderate, but the wind kills it. This stretch is a write-off for a paddle surfer; if you’ve got a kite, it might be interesting.
The weekend of August 15th and 16th sees the swell drop right off. Saturday morning has a tiny 3ft northeast swell with a cross-offshore breeze, but it’s just too small to get excited about. Sunday has even less – 2ft to 2ft – with a strong offshore wind that’ll keep it clean, but you’d be scratching for a ride.
The second week is mostly bleak. Swell heights hover around 1.0ft to 2ft, with persistent onshore winds and very weak energy readings (most under 100). The best you could hope for is a tiny clean session on Tuesday August 18th afternoon, with a 2ft east swell and a moderate offshore breeze. But it’s a long shot.
One thing to note: throughout this whole period, Tawharanui is an exposed beach and reef setup, best on a northeast swell. Monday morning’s north swell combined with that perfect offshore wind is the only real highlight. Crowds are often there, so if you do go out Monday morning, expect some company.
So, to sum it up: Monday August 10th morning is your one true standout. Get out there early. The rest of the 16 days is mostly small, weak, and blown out. It’s a lean stretch, but that’s how it goes sometimes. The forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Wed night. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon afternoon, min 11°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Thu night. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu afternoon, min 13°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NE on Fri morning, fresh winds from the SW by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | |||||||||||||||
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) | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 9 | N 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 5 | NNE 6 | NE 6 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 8 | NE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 10 | E 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
260 | 185 | 153 | 153 | 240 | 147 | 330 | 253 | 181 | 160 | 82 | 75 | 68 | 93 | 39 | 86 | 37 | 42 | 36 | 68 | 41 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:45PM2.47m | 5:07AM2.44m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:25AM0.60m | 11:08PM0.71m | 11:32AM0.53m | 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 | ||||||||
7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | |
— | 5:43 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:46 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | — | — | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 12 |
Temp °C | 14 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 |
Feels °C | 12 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 8 | N 9 | N 8 | N 12 | N 12 | N 12 | E 13 | E 13 | NNE 6 | NE 6 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | E 10 | E 9 |
260 | 185 | 153 | 153 | 240 | 147 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 75 | 68 | 93 | 39 | 86 | 29 | 42 | 36 | 68 | 41 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 12 | NE 12 | NE 12 | NE 12 | NE 11 | N 13 | — | — | E 14 | — | — | NE 10 | E 15 | E 15 | N 6 | NNW 7 | NE 8 | NE 10 | NE 7 | NE 9 | ENE 9 |
6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | — | — | 4 | — | — | 23 | 5 | 4 | 20 | 9 | 37 | 15 | 14 | 22 | 7 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 11 | E 11 | — | — | E 12 | E 11 | — | — | — | N 11 | N 11 | E 16 | E 12 | E 8 | NE 10 | E 13 | N 6 | E 13 | E 11 | — | — |
3 | 3 | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 24 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 22 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 3 | — | — | — | — | NE 4 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 5 | NNE 6 | — | E 6 | SSE 3 | S 4 | S 4 | S 3 | SSW 4 | SSW 4 | SW 4 |
1 | — | — | — | — | 14 | 330 | 253 | 181 | 160 | 82 | 55 | — | 12 | 10 | 14 | 6 | 8 | 15 | 26 | 12 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 64 | 67 | 67 | 67 | 67 | 67 | 81 | 64 | 13 | 64 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 78 |
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.











