Tawharanui Surf Break

Lat Long: 36.37° S 174.84° E

Tawharanui Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 pm 03 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 3 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 4 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 7s period, NNW swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 7s period, NNW swell with 420 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 4 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 7s period with NNW 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 (Sep 04) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m 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 2.2m 7s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 3s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 10) at 3PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 9PM (Fri 4th Sep)3ft (0.9m) 7s
Best Surf 9PM (Fri 4th Sep)3ft (0.9m) 7s
Most Powerful 6AM (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. Right, straight up – I’ve got to be honest with you. This outlook for the next 16 days is a tough one. There’s a big, lonely gap at the start with absolutely nothing to get excited about. The whole run from now through to early October is looking flat or very small, with only one brief window offering anything close to a wave.

We start with nothing. From Thursday the 3rd to Sunday the 6th, we’re looking at tiny, weak energy – combined swell energy is in the single digits and teens (14-19). Swell heights are at 0.7 ft or 2 ft with short periods. The wind is either cross or cross-off for the most part, but there’s just no swell to work with. It’s all poor surf conditions, so don’t bother paddling out.

We get a little spike on Monday the 7th. The swell bumps up to 6 ft from the north with an 8-second period and combined energy of a moderate 379, but the forecast is riddled with a risk of thunderstorms. It’s messy. The morning shows cross-shore winds, and the afternoon is cross-off but only gets a 1/10 score. Tawharanui faces north-east, so that north swell is okay, but the short period and wind won’t make it great. It’s a marginal call at best.

Then from Tuesday the 8th onwards, the bottom falls out again. We’re looking at days of tiny 0.3 ft to 1 ft swells. The combined energy drops right back to the teens and twenties (13-64). The winds are often offshore from the southwest, which would be good for Tawharanui if there was any swell. But there isn’t. That offshore wind is just going to make the water look pretty, not surfable. There are long gaps of several days here where it’s just flat and useless.

The best bet, and it’s a weak bet at that, comes right at the tail end. On Thursday the 17th of September, we have the strongest offshore flow of the whole run – a light breeze from the west-southwest at 6 mph, expected to be clean. The swell is only 2 ft from the north-northwest with a short 6-second period and combined energy of 33. It’s not much, but it’s the best of a bad bunch. For a complete beginner, those tiny clean waves might be playable, but for anyone else, it’s a flat session.

So, to sum it up: there’s one marginal day on the 7th that might offer a sloppy, stormy knee-high wave, and one clean but tiny day on the 17th. The rest is a long, flat stretch. Keep your board waxed, but don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri morning, min 11°C on Fri night). Mainly fresh winds.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 18mm), heaviest on Sun night. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun afternoon, min 10°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds.

Thu
3
Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
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
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
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)
0.2
ENE
10
0.2
ENE
10
0.9
NNW
5
0.7
NNW
5
0.7
N
7
0.2
ENE
10
0.2
ENE
11
0.2
ENE
10
0.2
ENE
10
0.7
N
4
1.2
N
5
1.8
N
8
1.3
N
8
1.2
N
8
0.9
N
8
0.7
N
7
0.4
N
7
0.3
N
6
0.2
NNE
9
0.3
NE
7
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
10
10
38
29
43
10
11
10
9
14
82
377
206
164
92
53
14
9
8
9
Wind (km/h)
20
W
20
NW
25
WNW
30
WNW
20
SW
15
WSW
20
WSW
15
W
15
NW
20
N
30
NNW
15
NNW
20
WNW
20
WSW
15
WSW
30
WSW
30
WSW
20
SSW
10
SSW
15
WSW
Wind State
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
off
cross-off
High Tide
11:41PM2.49m
12:07PM2.47m
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
Low Tide
5:36PM0.69m
6:05AM0.58m
6:35PM0.76m
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
part cloud
clear
cloud
part cloud
rain showers
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
mod rain
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
rain showers
cloud
cloud
rain showers
clear
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:37
6:35
6:33
6:33
6:31
6:30
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:00
6:01
6:02
6:04
6:04
6:05
6:06
 mm
2
6
2
3
3
4
Temp °C
16
14
17
16
14
14
15
14
14
16
16
15
14
13
14
14
11
13
15
12
Feels °C
11
11
12
11
11
10
11
11
10
12
11
13
11
10
9
8
7
9
12
8
  • 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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