Surf Forecasts:
Tawharanui surf forecast from 29 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 8s period, N swell with 518 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Tawharanui this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Tawharanui in the next 16 days are 2.1m 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 1.3m 5s 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) | 7ft (2.1m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tawharanui over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Tawharanui over the next couple weeks. Straight up, I gotta be honest with you – it’s a tough stretch. There’s a real gap from Sunday the 31st of August all the way through to the 6th of September where the swell just drops away to tiny, messy stuff. Not worth paddling out for unless you’re after a flat-water paddle. The main event, if you can call it that, happens this Saturday the 29th of August, and then again around the 6th of September.
Your best bet, and really the only one that gets me excited, is Saturday morning. We’ve got a north swell coming in at 5ft with a period of 7 seconds, creating a weak to moderate combined energy of 236. The water temp is sitting at 57° which is about average for this time of year. The real winner here is the wind – it’s glassy. Dead calm. You’ll get clean, smooth waves at Tawharanui. It’s a beach and reef setup, exposed to the north, so this northwest swell will wrap in alright. For a beginner spot, 5ft is starting to push the limit a bit, so keep that in mind, but the glassy conditions will make it manageable. It can get crowded here often, so get in early.
Saturday afternoon the rain moves in heavy and the wind shifts cross-offshore, but the swell holds. It’s still surfable, but not as clean.
Now for the second week. Look at Thursday the 10th of September morning. After a long flat spell, we get a pulse from the NNW at 4ft with a short 5-second period. The energy is weak at 83, but the wind is offshore from the southwest, so it’ll be clean. It’s not a standout, just the best of a quiet bunch. And then Thursday afternoon sees the swell bump to 4ft with a 6-second period and moderate energy of 136, still with offshore wind. Again, clean but small. The 10th is your last real window before it fades again.
After that, from the 11th onward, it’s all tiny, weak leftovers with periods over 12 seconds – those long-period groundswells that tend to close out on beach breaks like Tawharanui. Not worth chasing.
So, to sum it up: Saturday morning 29th August is the standout. Get on it. The rest is a waiting game with a couple of clean but ordinary days around the 10th of September. Stay keen.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 62mm), heaviest during Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun morning, min 11°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat morning, strong winds from the SW by Sun afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Tue afternoon). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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 7 | N 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NE 9 | NNE 9 | NE 9 | NE 10 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NW 4 | ENE 10 | NNW 4 | NNW 6 | N 6 | NNW 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 269 | 329 | 422 | 157 | 108 | 81 | 54 | 39 | 44 | 43 | 30 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 13 | 55 | 35 | 11 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross | off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 12:07PM2.47m | 00:34AM2.43m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 6:05AM0.58m | 6:35PM0.76m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | |  | | |  |  | | |  | | | | | | |  | | |
 | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — |
 | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — |
mm | 11 | 37 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 13 |
Feels °C | 14 | 13 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 7 | N 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NE 9 | NNE 9 | NE 9 | NE 10 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 8 | NE 8 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | N 6 | NNW 6 |
| kJ | 269 | 259 | 422 | 157 | 108 | 81 | 54 | 39 | 44 | 43 | 30 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 35 | 11 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | NNE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 7 | N 12 | N 12 | N 11 | N 11 | N 11 | N 11 | N 11 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 |
| kJ | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | 70 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 10 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 12 | — | — | E 5 | — | — | — | — | N 10 | N 10 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | N 8 | S 4 | SSW 5 | SW 4 | SW 4 | SW 4 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | SSW 4 | SW 3 | WSW 3 | WNW 4 | NW 4 | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | NNW 6 | W 3 | SW 3 |
| kJ | — | 329 | 50 | 56 | 34 | 39 | 24 | 19 | 28 | 34 | 35 | 21 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 13 | 55 | 5 | 6 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 1 | 13 | 162 | 98 | 22 | 0 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 162 | 86 | 202 | 202 | 295 | 336 | 359 | 209 | 359 | 38 | 59 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Northland | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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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