Surf Forecasts:
Tawharanui surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 8s period, N swell with 418 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Tawharanui this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Tawharanui in the next 16 days are 1.8m 8s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tawharanui over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for the Tawharanui region over the next couple of weeks. Honestly, it’s a bit of a slow burner. We’ve got a big patch of small, flat days to work through before any real action shows up.
Right now, and for the next several days, it’s pretty gutless. The water is sitting at 57°F, which is about bang on average for this time of year, so that’s one thing we don’t have to complain about. But the surf? Forget it. From Friday the 28th of August right through until the end of the first week of September, we are looking at tiny, weak waves. The combined energy is barely registering, with values like 91 and even dropping down to 15 for that tiny 1ft stuff. There’s a window around the 30th of August where we get a clean, offshore wind from the SW, but the swell is a pathetic 2ft to 3ft, so it’s not worth paddling out for. We are looking at a solid 8 to 10 days of nothing worth chasing. It’s a real quiet spell.
Things start to look a little more interesting as we head into the second week. On Monday the 7th of September, the morning is still small, but by the afternoon a moderate cross-shore wind kicks in and the swell bumps up to 6ft from the north, with moderate wave energy (228). The wind isn't perfect, it’s a bit messy, but it’s the first sign of life. The real standout, though, and the one to circle on your calendar, is Tuesday the 8th of September. We’ve got a solid 7ft swell from the NNW, and the combined energy is strong at 524. This is serious size. The period is a short 8 seconds, so it’s not groundswell, but there’s a lot of water moving. The problem is the wind is cross-onshore and lumpy, coming from the NNW at 19 mph. This is going to chop it right up. This size, over 8ft, is expert territory. For a beach and reef setup like Tawharanui, with that onshore wind, it could be more of a kite-surfing day than a clean paddle session. The conditions are poor for a good wave face, but the energy is definitely there.
After that pulse, it fades out quickly. Wednesday the 9th has a tiny window with clean conditions and a light offshore, but the swell drops to 3ft with weak energy (86). Then we are back to small, clean but tiny conditions for the rest of the forecast period. A brief flash of 4ft on Saturday the 12th of September, but the wind is howling at 25 mph offshore. Strong offshore wind and a short-period swell is going to make it a battle to get out and the waves will be hard to catch.
So, the short story: for this 16-day window at Tawharanui, the pickings are slim. The Tuesday the 8th of September is the only day with real size and power, but the wind ruins it for a quality surf. Don't get your hopes up until then.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 35mm), heaviest during Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri afternoon, min 12°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NE on Sat morning, fresh winds from the WSW by Sun afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu morning, min 12°C on Tue afternoon). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the W on Mon night, light winds from the W by Wed night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 5 | N 6 | N 7 | N 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NE 8 | NE 9 | NNE 9 | NE 8 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 8 | NE 9 | NE 10 | NE 10 | ENE 10 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
83 | 132 | 230 | 221 | 280 | 113 | 45 | 120 | 68 | 35 | 41 | 30 | 31 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 10 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | off | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:21PM2.50m | 7:39AM2.43m | 8:01PM2.56m | 8:21AM2.50m | 8:42PM2.60m | 9:03AM2.54m | 9:24PM2.61m | 9:46AM2.55m | 10:07PM2.59m | 10:30AM2.54m | 10:53PM2.55m | 11:17AM2.51m | 11:41PM2.49m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:43AM0.73m | 1:59PM0.63m | 2:24AM0.64m | 2:38PM0.58m | 3:04AM0.58m | 3:18PM0.56m | 3:46AM0.54m | 3:59PM0.58m | 4:29AM0.53m | 4:44PM0.63m | 5:15AM0.55m | 5:36PM0.69m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | |
5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | |
mm | — | 3 | 8 | 21 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 13 |
Feels °C | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 5 | — | — | N 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NE 8 | NE 9 | NNE 9 | NE 8 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 8 | NE 9 | NE 10 | NE 10 | ENE 10 |
3 | — | — | 221 | 280 | 113 | 45 | 120 | 68 | 35 | 41 | 30 | 31 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 10 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 9 | NE 9 | — | E 13 | E 13 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | NW 4 | NNE 10 | — | NW 6 | NW 5 | N 7 | N 12 | N 12 | — | N 11 | N 11 | N 11 |
3 | 3 | — | 3 | 3 | 55 | 44 | 10 | 1 | 20 | — | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 11 | E 15 | — | — | — | E 12 | N 8 | — | — | — | — | — | N 6 | — | — | N 7 | N 11 | — | — | — |
2 | 4 | — | — | — | 3 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 5 | N 6 | N 7 | — | SSW 4 | SSW 4 | SW 4 | WSW 4 | SW 4 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | SW 4 | SW 3 | WSW 3 | W 3 | NW 3 | WNW 3 | WNW 3 |
83 | 132 | 230 | — | 34 | 40 | 23 | 29 | 33 | 18 | 25 | 31 | 25 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 279 | 64 | 8 | 1 | 78 | 22 | 98 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 66 | 183 | 202 | 336 | 183 | 359 | 183 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Northland | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











