Tawharanui Surf Break

Lat Long: 36.37° S 174.84° E

Tawharanui Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 am 14 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Tawharanui sea temperature is
15.1° 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 13 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 14 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 5s period, NNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 21 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 6s period, E swell with 116 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 14 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 5s 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 Tuesday (Jul 14) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 5s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 5s. Another secondary swell of 0.2m and 9s is also forecast. 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 1.4m 6s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Friday (Jul 17) at 3PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 3PM (Tue 14th Jul)4ft (1.2m) 5s
Best Surf 3PM (Tue 14th Jul)4ft (1.2m) 5s
Most Powerful12PM (Tue 21st Jul)4.5ft (1.4m) 6s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s heading our way at Tawharanui.

To be straight with you, the next week and a half is looking pretty grim. There’s a long stretch of poor surf conditions, with a couple of very small, forgettable windows. The real standout is a single session on the morning of Monday the 27th of July, which is the only time I’d even bother paddling out.

We start off with nothing worth mentioning. Tuesday the 14th has a tiny 3ft NNE swell (67 weak energy) but a cross-shore chop ruins it. The rest of the week through to the weekend is a write-off – tiny waves, odd directions, and mostly messy wind. Even Friday the 17th has a touch of offshore wind, but the swell is only 1ft, so it’s just not enough to get excited about.

There’s a big pulse of swell coming in from the 21st, but it’s all bad news. By the 22nd we’re looking at 8ft NE swell (strong energy at 2206), but with a strong cross-onshore and messy conditions, it’s a complete blown-out mess. That continues through the 23rd and 24th with near-gale force winds and 10ft+ swell (up to 5019 energy). That’s expert-only territory, and even then, the wind is so bad you’d be better off with a kite. The water temp is about 59°F, which is pretty average for this time of year.

Now, the one bright spot. On Monday morning, the 27th of July, we get a 5ft E swell (moderate energy at 607) with a gentle offshore breeze from the west. That’s clean surf. The period is 12 seconds, so it’s a proper groundswell with some punch. The wind is light and clean, and the break is a beach and reef setup, so it should handle that longer period well. This is a rare, solid window in a long stretch of dross. The wind stays clean through the afternoon, but the swell drops to 4ft.

After that, Tuesday the 28th has a drop-off to 3ft, and the rest of the outlook fades into small, choppy mush. So, if you can only go once, make it the morning of Monday the 27th. It’s the only day that’s worth the drive.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Tue afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri afternoon, min 11°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSW on Sat night, fresh winds from the ESE by Sun night).

Tuesday
14
Wednesday
15
Thursday
16
Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
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
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
0
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)
1
N
5
1.2
NNW
5
0.5
N
5
0.3
NNW
5
0.2
E
11
0.2
E
10
0.1
NE
10
0.4
N
5
0.2
E
18
0.4
E
17
0.4
E
16
0.4
E
17
0.3
E
16
0.3
E
15
0.3
E
14
0.2
E
14
1.1
ESE
5
1
E
5
0.7
ENE
6
0.7
E
6
0.7
E
6
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
52
70
13
5
9
8
4
7
25
92
80
90
42
39
37
16
50
49
35
32
31
Wind (km/h)
20
NNW
10
WNW
10
WSW
10
WNW
5
N
5
WNW
10
W
15
W
20
SW
15
SW
20
SW
15
SW
15
SW
15
WSW
15
SW
10
SSE
15
ESE
30
SE
30
SE
30
ESE
35
E
Wind State
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
off
off
off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
High Tide
6:55PM2.70m
7:18AM2.60m
7:48PM2.77m
8:12AM2.65m
8:39PM2.81m
9:05AM2.67m
9:30PM2.81m
9:56AM2.66m
10:19PM2.77m
10:46AM2.62m
11:07PM2.71m
11:34AM2.56m
11:53PM2.61m
Low Tide
12:46PM0.38m
1:22AM0.49m
1:43PM0.31m
2:17AM0.42m
2:36PM0.26m
3:09AM0.39m
3:24PM0.27m
3:58AM0.40m
4:11PM0.33m
4:46AM0.43m
4:58PM0.44m
5:34AM0.49m
5:46PM0.58m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
cloud
light rain
rain showers
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:30
7:28
7:28
7:28
7:28
7:26
7:26
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:22
5:22
5:23
5:24
5:24
5:25
5:27
 mm
1
2
4
Temp °C
15
17
14
14
15
14
15
17
13
13
14
12
13
14
13
13
13
12
13
14
14
Feels °C
13
16
13
13
14
13
14
14
11
10
10
9
10
10
10
10
10
6
8
8
7
  • 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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