Tawharanui Surf Break

Lat Long: 36.37° S 174.84° E

Tawharanui Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 pm 11 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Tawharanui sea temperature is
15.0°C
0.4° 

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


Tawharanui surf forecast from 11 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 18 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 8s period, N swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 18 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 8s period, N swell with 49 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 18 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 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 Friday (Sep 18) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Tawharanui in the next 16 days are 0.6m 8s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 18) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 12) at 6AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 9PM (Fri 18th Sep)2ft (0.6m) 8s
Best Surf 9PM (Fri 18th Sep)2ft (0.6m) 8s
Most Powerful 9PM (Fri 18th Sep)2ft (0.6m) 8s

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


The Lowdown

Right then, Rusty here. Bit of a flat spell ahead, I'm afraid. Looking at the whole 16-day window for Tawharanui, there's nothing that's going to get the heart racing. We're looking at a solid run of days where the swell just isn't showing up with any kind of punch. The combined wave energy stays weak throughout, mostly sitting between 5 and 58, which tells you everything you need to know.

It kicks off Friday the 11th with a tiny 1ft NE swell, period of 9 seconds. The wind is a fresh offshore from the SW, keeping things clean, but there’s just no size or power. Combined energy is a low 46. The water temp is sitting at 59°, which is about average for this time of year. Over the weekend and into next week, it's more of the same – small, knee-high dribbles at best with the swell bouncing between 0.3ft and 1.0ft from the NNE. The wind stays offshore or cross-offshore, so the surface will be glassy or clean, but you're essentially looking at a lake out there. The combined energy barely breaks 20 or 30.

We get a slight bump in swell height on Thursday the 17th with a 3ft N swell, but the period is a terrible 5 seconds, making it junky and weak. The combined energy only hits 53 and 57, which is still weak. The wind also turns cross and cross-onshore from the N and NW, so it'll be messy on top of being small.

Honestly, every single entry across the whole forecast is labelled "poor surf conditions." There is no standout. To be blunt, for a beach and reef setup like Tawharanui, with such minimal energy and that short-period junk, it looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer if you've got enough wind.

With nothing breaking, it’s a blank run that feels more normal for the area when the charts look like this. The streak of unrideable days stretches from now, right through to the end of the outlook on Saturday the 26th.

Signing off,
Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun morning, min 11°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Sat morning, light winds from the SW by Mon morning).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon afternoon, min 12°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Fri
11
Saturday
12
Sunday
13
Monday
14
Tuesday
15
Wednesday
16
Thursday
17
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
0
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
NE
9
0.3
NE
12
0.2
ENE
9
0.2
NNE
12
0.2
NNE
13
0.2
NNE
13
0.2
NNE
13
0.2
NNE
13
0.2
NNE
12
0.2
NNE
12
0.2
NNE
12
0.2
NNE
12
0.2
NNE
12
0.1
NE
13
0.1
NE
13
0.3
NE
12
0.5
N
4
0.9
N
5
0.9
N
5
0.6
N
5
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
21
24
8
15
16
16
17
16
15
14
14
14
13
7
6
24
9
41
47
19
Wind (km/h)
35
SW
30
WSW
35
SW
30
SW
25
SW
30
SW
30
SW
15
WSW
15
SW
20
SW
15
WSW
20
SW
20
SW
15
WSW
15
W
10
NW
10
N
15
NW
10
N
10
WNW
Wind State
off
off
off
off
off
off
off
off
off
off
off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-off
High Tide
7:06PM2.74m
7:35AM2.66m
7:51PM2.75m
8:21AM2.69m
8:36PM2.72m
9:06AM2.67m
9:19PM2.66m
9:49AM2.62m
10:01PM2.57m
10:31AM2.54m
10:43PM2.46m
11:12AM2.44m
11:25PM2.36m
Low Tide
1:35AM0.47m
1:53PM0.41m
2:19AM0.43m
2:36PM0.42m
3:01AM0.43m
3:17PM0.47m
3:42AM0.46m
3:59PM0.54m
4:22AM0.52m
4:42PM0.64m
5:03AM0.61m
5:27PM0.74m
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
light rain
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:24
6:24
6:22
6:20
6:18
6:18
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:07
6:07
6:08
6:09
6:10
6:10
6:12
 mm
1
Temp °C
14
13
14
14
12
15
15
12
15
16
12
15
16
13
14
15
14
16
16
14
Feels °C
7
7
7
7
7
8
9
8
12
12
9
12
12
10
11
12
13
14
13
12
  • 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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