Tawharanui Surf Break

Lat Long: 36.37° S 174.84° E

Tawharanui Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 21 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Tawharanui sea temperature is
14.7° 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 21 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 28 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 14s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 7s period, NNW swell with 302 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 28 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 14s 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 Tuesday (Jul 28) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 6s. 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 1.8m 7s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 6AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)12AM (Tue 28th Jul)1.5ft (0.5m) 14s
Best Surf12AM (Tue 28th Jul)1.5ft (0.5m) 14s
Most Powerful 9PM (Fri 24th Jul)6ft (1.8m) 7s

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


The Lowdown

G'day, Rusty here, and I gotta be straight with ya – we're looking at a pretty bleak stretch ahead for Tawharanui. The next couple of weeks are mostly a write-off, with hardly any surf worth paddling out for. We've got a long gap of nothing special until we finally see a glimmer of something on the horizon.

The water temp is sitting at 59°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so nothing weird there.

We start off now with Tuesday the 21st and it's a dud. Tiny waves and a cross-shore wind just ruining any chance of a ride. That sets the tone for the next week. There's a few days where the wind goes offshore, like Wednesday the 22nd and Thursday the 23rd, but the swell is barely a ripple – 0.7ft to 1.0ft of junk. Not worth getting the wetsuit wet for.

Then Friday the 24th gets a bit of a bump in size, hitting 5ft by the afternoon, but it's a messy, short-period windswell from the NNW with a horrible cross-onshore wind. The combined energy climbs to 151, but it's all chop and no shape. That 5ft is really just for the die-hards, and honestly, with that wind, it looks more like a kite session than a paddle.

The weekend of the 25th and 26th is a howling gale with strong offshore winds hitting 25 mph. The swell is tiny, and while the wind is offshore, it's so strong it'll blow you off your board. The combined energy is weak, between 52 and 100. Hard pass.

We get a bit of hope early on the morning of Tuesday the 28th. The swell holds at 2ft but the period stretches out to a very long 15 seconds, coming from the east. The combined energy hits 169, which is moderate, and the wind is a gentle breeze from the SSW, keeping it clean. This is a groundswell, so it'll have some push and those long lulls, but at a beach and reef setup like Tawharanui, that long period can make it break a bit straight. It's surfable, but very ordinary. The rating is a 1/10, so don't expect much.

The rest of the week into the 30th is more of the same – tiny, clean waves but nothing with any power. The morning of the 31st finally sees a proper bump in size, with 7ft of north swell building. The combined energy jumps to 599, which is strong. But the wind is a moderate cross-shore, creating a chop, and the period is only 8-9 seconds, so it's a messy windswell. At 7ft, that's expert territory, and with the poor conditions, it's a "marginal" call at best.

After that, we're back to square one. The first week of August is a desert – tiny swell and strong offshore winds. The only slight highlight is Monday the 3rd of August, with a tiny 2ft swell and a glassy morning. The combined energy is a weak 59, and it's a "surfable" wave, but honestly, it's barely a ripple. That's a full two weeks from now, so don't bank on it.

So, where's the standout? Honestly, there isn't one. The best on offer is the morning of Tuesday the 28th of July – that 2ft of long-period groundswell with clean conditions. It's not going to be pumping, but it's the only window where the wind and swell are kind of aligned. If you're desperate, paddle out then. Otherwise, give it a miss.

Rusty out.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Wed morning, min 10°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri morning, min 9°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the W on Fri night, light winds from the W by Sat night).

Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
Saturday
25
Sunday
26
Monday
27
AM
PM
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
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1
E
6
0.7
E
6
0.4
ENE
5
0.3
ENE
5
0.2
N
7
0.2
N
8
0.1
E
10
0.2
E
7
0.2
E
7
0.7
NW
4
1.6
NNW
5
1.2
N
7
0.4
E
12
0.4
E
12
0.4
E
11
0.7
NNW
6
0.3
E
11
1
ESE
6
0.4
E
13
0.5
E
13
0.5
E
14
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
61
33
9
5
4
5
2
4
3
12
138
150
47
41
39
37
23
65
51
84
91
Wind (km/h)
20
ESE
10
SSE
15
SSW
10
SW
20
SW
15
SW
10
WSW
15
WSW
10
WNW
20
NNW
35
NNW
35
WNW
40
WSW
45
WSW
15
W
40
WNW
40
W
30
SSW
20
SSW
25
SSW
15
SSW
Wind State
cross
cross-off
off
off
off
off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
12:22PM2.48m
00:40AM2.50m
1:11PM2.38m
1:27AM2.39m
2:02PM2.28m
2:18AM2.28m
3:01PM2.21m
3:13AM2.20m
4:03PM2.19m
4:11AM2.15m
5:00PM2.21m
5:06AM2.15m
5:49PM2.26m
Low Tide
6:38PM0.71m
7:09AM0.67m
7:32PM0.82m
7:57AM0.76m
8:27PM0.90m
8:46AM0.85m
9:21PM0.96m
9:37AM0.92m
10:15PM0.98m
10:30AM0.95m
11:09PM0.99m
11:24AM0.94m
00:00AM0.96m
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
light rain
rain showers
rain showers
clear
rain showers
rain showers
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:26
7:24
7:24
7:24
7:22
7:22
7:22
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:27
5:28
5:29
5:30
5:30
5:30
5:31
 mm
5
3
2
3
2
Temp °C
12
12
11
14
14
14
14
14
12
14
13
13
12
12
14
14
13
11
10
11
10
Feels °C
8
10
8
11
10
11
11
10
9
8
7
8
2
2
8
7
5
4
5
4
5
  • 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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