Surf Forecasts:
Tawharanui surf forecast from 10 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 14 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 7s period, NE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 12 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 8s period, NE swell with 380 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 14 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 7s period with NE 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 (Aug 14) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Tawharanui in the next 16 days are 1.7m 8s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 15) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Fri 14th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Fri 14th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Wed 12th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tawharanui over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right then, let’s have a look at what Tawharanui’s got lined up for us. I’ll be straight with you—this is a pretty lean run for the next couple of weeks. There’s no proper surf on the cards until Wednesday the 19th of August, and even then it’s barely a whisper.
We’ve got a solid gap of about eight days with nothing worth paddling out for. From Tuesday the 11th right through to Tuesday the 18th, it’s all poor surf conditions. The swell is small, the wind is mostly cross or onshore, and the energy is weak to moderate at best. The biggest pulse we see in that stretch is on Wednesday the 12th, with a 6ft NE swell, but it’s accompanied by a 16 mph cross-onshore breeze, making it choppy and messy. Not worth it.
Finally, on Wednesday the 19th of August morning, we get a little window. The swell is tiny, only 1ft from the east with a 10-second period, and the combined energy is a weak 45. But the wind is offshore from the southwest at 12 mph, keeping things clean. The guidance calls it “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” and honestly, that’s about the best we get. Tawharanui is a beach and reef setup, exposed to the NE, but the optimum swell direction is NE and we’re getting east. It’s not a match, so the shape will be average. This is a beginner-friendly spot, and with waves this small, it’s only really for the learner crew or anyone desperate for a splash. Crowds are often an issue here, but with conditions this ordinary, you might have it to yourself.
After that, the rest of the outlook fades out again. Thursday the 20th has a glassy morning with 0.7ft and zero wind, but there’s no energy at all (combined energy of 9). From there it’s tiny, clean but tiny, right through to the end of the period. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual there.
So, the only real standout, if you can even call it that, is the Wednesday morning on the 19th of August. It’s clean, offshore, and surfable, but don’t expect any power. For the rest, you’re better off finding something else to do.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Thu morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu morning, min 11°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSW on Mon night, fresh winds from the ENE by Tue night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Thu night. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri morning, min 12°C on Sun afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | ||||||||||||||
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 8 | N 8 | N 9 | N 9 | NE 8 | NNE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 10 | NE 10 | NE 9 | E 7 | NE 7 | ESE 8 | E 8 | E 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 153 | 153 | 203 | 151 | 380 | 170 | 241 | 139 | 89 | 61 | 43 | 63 | 45 | 31 | 36 | 33 | 19 | 50 | 53 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | on | cross | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:07AM2.44m | 5:45PM2.59m | 6:08AM2.53m | 6:38PM2.70m | 7:03AM2.61m | 7:29PM2.78m | 7:54AM2.67m | 8:17PM2.81m | 8:44AM2.69m | 9:04PM2.80m | 9:32AM2.69m | 9:50PM2.75m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:08PM0.71m | 11:32AM0.53m | 00:11AM0.62m | 12:33PM0.44m | 1:07AM0.52m | 1:27PM0.36m | 1:58AM0.45m | 2:16PM0.32m | 2:46AM0.41m | 3:01PM0.33m | 3:32AM0.40m | 3:45PM0.39m | |||||||
 |  |  |  | |  |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:46 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 5 | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 11 |
Feels °C | 10 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | N 8 | N 9 | N 9 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | — | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 10 | NE 10 | E 6 | E 7 | NE 7 | ESE 8 | E 8 | E 9 |
| kJ | 153 | 153 | 203 | 151 | 176 | 170 | — | 139 | 89 | 61 | 43 | 63 | 45 | 31 | 36 | 33 | 19 | 50 | 53 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 12 | NE 12 | E 11 | N 13 | N 12 | N 12 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | E 6 | ENE 6 | E 6 | E 6 | NE 9 | NE 8 | E 8 | NE 7 | N 12 | — |
| kJ | 6 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 33 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 27 | 33 | 33 | 12 | 3 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | E 12 | E 11 | — | — | — | — | — | E 13 | E 15 | E 15 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | E 8 | N 7 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 3 | — | — | ENE 4 | NE 8 | E 5 | NE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | SE 4 | S 4 | S 4 | SSW 4 | S 4 | S 4 | SSE 4 |
| kJ | 1 | — | — | 13 | 380 | 69 | 241 | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | 27 | 10 | 11 | 28 | 7 | 18 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 1 | 64 | 64 | 102 | 67 | 67 | 13 | 7 | 48 | 13 | 64 | 13 | 44 | 13 | 1 | 33 | 13 | 13 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Northland | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
Latest Updates
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Tawharanui surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest