Tawharanui Surf Break

Lat Long: 36.37° S 174.84° E

Tawharanui Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 06 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Tawharanui sea temperature is
14.5°C
0.1° 

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


Tawharanui surf forecast from 6 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 8 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 8s period, N swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 7s period, NNW swell with 474 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 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 Tuesday (Sep 08) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 9s. 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 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 12) at 3PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 3AM (Tue 8th Sep)3.5ft (1.1m) 8s
Best Surf 3AM (Tue 8th Sep)3.5ft (1.1m) 8s
Most Powerful 9AM (Mon 7th Sep)7ft (2.2m) 7s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, this is Rusty. Let's be real with you. The next two weeks for Tawharanui are a tough watch. We’ve got a long, dry spell to get through before anything even starts to look like a surfable wave.

Right now, it’s flat. I mean, properly flat. From Sunday, the 6th of September, right through to the 17th, the swell is barely a whisper, mostly under 2 feet. The energy is weak, with combined swell readings hanging around 10 to 49 (weak energy). There’s a bit of a pulse on Monday the 7th, with a 7ft swell from the NNW, but it’s a messy, short-period 7 seconds, with a cross-shore wind that’s just going to chop it up. The combined energy hit 477 (moderate wave energy) that morning, but it’s still a write-off for a paddle. That afternoon cleans up with a cross-offshore wind, but the swell drops to 5 feet and the period is still short. Not worth the effort.

We get a few mornings of clean, offshore conditions from the SW, but the swell is tiny. On Tuesday the 8th, there’s a 3ft windswell, but it's just not enough. The water temp is about 58°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The real story, the only story that matters, is the stand-out window that builds on Friday the 18th of September. That’s the one to circle on the calendar. We get a solid 8ft NNW groundswell rolling in, with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy explodes to 1798 (very strong wave energy). The wind is light and cross-offshore from the SSE, which is going to keep those faces clean. That Friday afternoon is the best on offer. It’s a proper size, so this is for experienced surfers only—beginners, stay on the sand. This is a point-and-reef setup, so that longer-period groundswell will wrap in nicely.

Saturday the 19th is still solid, with a 6ft and 5ft swell from the N, but the wind is howling from the SSE at 28-31 mph. That’s going to ruin the surface. It’s clean, but the wind strength will make it a battle. The energy is still there at 619 (strong wave energy), but the quality is gone.

After that, it drops off quickly. Sunday the 20th and Monday the 21st see the swell fading to 3ft and 3ft, with the wind switching offshore again. The energy drops to 337 (moderate wave energy) by Monday, but it’s a marginal forecast. The crowd factor at Tawharanui is “often”, so expect company on that Friday peak.

So, to sum it up: it’s a long wait. Absolutely nothing for the first 12 days. Then, a genuine, heart-pumping window on Friday the 18th of September. That’s the one. The rest is just a cruel tease of clean wind and no waves.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun afternoon, min 10°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Tue afternoon, light winds from the SW by Tue night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Thu night. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu afternoon, min 10°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed morning, strong winds from the SW by Fri morning).

Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
Friday
11
Saturday
12
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
1
1
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
NNW
3
0.4
NNW
4
1.5
N
6
2.2
NNW
7
1.4
NNW
8
1.4
NNW
8
0.8
N
8
0.5
N
8
0.4
N
7
0.3
N
6
0.1
NE
15
0.3
NE
8
0.2
NNE
14
0.3
NE
14
0.7
NNW
7
0.2
NNE
14
0.2
NNE
14
0.2
NNE
13
0.1
NE
16
0.2
NNE
12
0.2
NNE
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
4
5
154
474
232
215
84
29
16
9
9
10
19
31
45
20
19
17
10
15
16
Wind (km/h)
15
NW
15
NW
30
NNW
25
NW
25
WNW
20
WNW
20
SW
30
SW
15
SW
0
SW
5
WNW
15
W
20
WNW
20
NW
20
WSW
35
SW
40
SW
30
W
40
WSW
40
WSW
35
WSW
Wind State
cross
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
off
glassy
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
off
off
off
High Tide
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
6:46AM2.61m
7:06PM2.74m
7:35AM2.66m
7:51PM2.75m
Low Tide
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
1:07PM0.44m
1:35AM0.47m
1:53PM0.41m
2:19AM0.43m
clear
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
part cloud
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
light rain
mod rain
part cloud
clear
rain showers
clear
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:33
6:33
6:31
6:30
6:28
6:26
6:24
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:04
6:04
6:05
6:06
6:07
6:07
6:07
 mm
1
4
2
7
1
Temp °C
15
17
16
16
16
14
14
14
11
13
13
11
15
16
11
12
12
12
13
13
12
Feels °C
11
14
12
12
11
11
8
8
7
12
12
8
10
12
5
3
3
5
4
4
4
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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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