Tawharanui Surf Break

Lat Long: 36.37° S 174.84° E

Tawharanui Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 pm 04 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Tawharanui sea temperature is
14.2°C
0.3° 

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


Tawharanui surf forecast from 4 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 7 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 7s period, N swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 7s period, NNW swell with 475 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 7 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 7s 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 (Sep 07) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Tawharanui in the next 16 days are 2.2m 7s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 5s period and expected on Friday (Sep 11) at 12AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 9PM (Mon 7th Sep)5ft (1.5m) 7s
Best Surf 9PM (Mon 7th Sep)5ft (1.5m) 7s
Most Powerful12PM (Mon 7th Sep)7ft (2.2m) 7s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – this is a tough one. We’re looking at a long, drawn-out flat spell for Tawharanui with only a couple of brief, very average moments. For the most part, you’ll be staring at a lake.

The trouble starts now. We’ve got a solid 16-day window, but the first recommendation doesn't appear until Monday the 7th of September, and even then it's a miss. We see a jump in swell energy – up to a moderate 246 (combined energy) – with a 6ft swell from the north. But that’s coming with a strong, lumpy cross-onshore wind from the NNW at 19 mph. It’s messy, blown-out, and with that short 6-second period, it’ll be a washing machine. Not for paddle surfing. This setup actually looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. Keep the board on the roof.

Tuesday the 8th of September is the closest we get to a surf. The swell settles to 4ft from the north with moderate wave energy (166). The wind shifts to a cross-offshore from the west at 9 mph, cleaning things up. It’s surfable, but the report calls it “very ordinary.” The water temp is about average for this time of year. For a beginner-friendly spot like Tawharanui, that 4ft is fine, but the quality is just meh.

After that, it’s back to tiny, weak pulses of swell with energy figures in the teens and twenties. We see long-period (12-14 second) groundswell from the NNE, but it’s only 0.7ft to 1ft. The wind is often offshore, which would be a major positive if there was any wave to hold up. It stays like this for days. You’ll get clean conditions, but nothing to ride. A couple of times the wind is so strong (up to 28 mph) it’s clean but hard to paddle into.

There’s another blip on Thursday the 17th of September with a 5ft NNW swell and moderate energy (155). Cross-offshore wind from the WSW at 19 mph keeps it clean. But again, the period is short (5 seconds), meaning weak, crumbly waves. Not a standout.

Friday the 18th of September has a small pulse of east swell at 3ft with gentle offshore wind, but it’s still only a 1 out of 10 call.

Honestly, if you’ve got itchy feet, don’t set your hopes high. The only window with a pulse is Tuesday the 8th, and even that’s ordinary. The rest is a waiting game.

Stay patient,
Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun afternoon, min 12°C on Fri night). Mainly fresh winds.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 17°C on Tue afternoon, min 10°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSE on Wed afternoon, fresh winds from the WNW by Thu afternoon).

Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
1
1
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)
0.6
N
7
0.3
NNW
6
0.2
ENE
11
0.2
ENE
10
0.4
NW
3
0.5
N
4
1
N
5
1.8
N
6
1.5
N
7
2
NNW
7
1.1
N
8
0.8
N
7
0.7
N
7
0.4
N
7
0.3
NE
8
0.4
NNE
7
0.4
NE
7
0.3
NE
14
0.4
NE
7
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
33
6
11
10
4
7
55
243
231
360
161
70
50
14
9
20
19
33
17
Wind (km/h)
20
WSW
15
WSW
20
WSW
15
WNW
20
NW
15
NNW
25
NNW
30
NNW
20
NW
10
WNW
15
W
10
WSW
15
SW
10
SSE
5
SSE
15
SW
15
W
25
W
35
WSW
Wind State
off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
High Tide
00:34AM2.43m
1:04PM2.42m
1:32AM2.37m
2:09PM2.39m
2:37AM2.34m
3:21PM2.41m
3:47AM2.37m
4:28PM2.49m
4:54AM2.43m
5:26PM2.59m
5:53AM2.53m
6:18PM2.68m
Low Tide
7:00AM0.62m
7:39PM0.80m
8:01AM0.66m
8:45PM0.81m
9:06AM0.68m
9:51PM0.78m
10:15AM0.65m
10:56PM0.71m
11:19AM0.59m
11:55PM0.62m
12:17PM0.51m
00:47AM0.53m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
cloud
rain showers
cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
light rain
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:35
6:33
6:33
6:31
6:30
6:28
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:02
6:04
6:04
6:05
6:06
6:07
 mm
2
1
1
5
Temp °C
13
14
15
12
15
17
16
16
16
13
16
17
12
13
14
13
14
14
11
Feels °C
9
9
10
9
11
14
12
11
13
10
14
15
9
11
12
11
9
9
3
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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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