Surf Forecasts:
Tawharanui surf forecast from 5 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 8 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 8s period, N swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 7s period, NNW swell with 432 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 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 Tuesday (Sep 08) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Tawharanui in the next 16 days are 2.2m 7s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 12) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 7ft (2.2m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tawharanui over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let me break it down for you. We’ve got a pretty bleak 16-day window ahead for the Tawharanui area. The whole stretch is a bit of a struggle, with barely a sniff of decent surf. The first few days bring nothing, and then we’re looking at a long, frustrating gap with no real recommendations.
The very first chance for anything worthwhile comes on Monday, September 7th. The afternoon session shows a 5ft swell from the NNW with a period of 8 seconds. The wind is coming from the WNW at 16 mph, giving us a cross-off breeze that’s keeping things clean. The combined swell energy is moderate at 229. It’s a marginal call, but it’s the best we’ve got in the early days. The water is sitting at 58°, which is about average for this time of year.
Then, things go quiet. The surf pretty much dries up for days. The Tuesday morning, September 8th offers a tiny 3ft from the north with a 8-second period, and we finally get a proper offshore wind (SW, 9 mph). The energy is weak at 120. It’s clean, but the swell is just too small to get excited about.
After that, it’s a long stretch of flat, small, or wind-affected junk. We’re talking swell heights under 2ft and strong winds – a lot of cross-off and fresh breezes, with energy readings often in the teens or twenties. The whole period is a write-off until the very end.
The last day in the window, Monday, September 21st, sees a 5ft NNW swell roll in with a period of 7 seconds. The combined energy is 195, which is moderate. But it’s coming with a strong breeze from the west at 25 mph, and the conditions are described as poor. It’s not a good look for a paddle.
For the sheer lack of any real quality, the Monday afternoon, September 7th is the only standout, and even that’s a stretch. It’s the biggest swell with the cleanest wind in the first week. The only other spot that sort of stands out is the Tuesday morning, September 8th for the offshore wind, but the swell is too weak to call it a session.
Honestly, if you’re looking to get wet, you might want to watch the charts for a change. This setup is more interesting for the kite surfers with that strong cross-off wind on the 21st than it is for a paddle surfer.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun afternoon, min 10°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu morning, min 10°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed morning, strong winds from the WSW by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NW 3 | NNW 4 | NNW 6 | NNW 7 | NNW 8 | N 7 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | N 6 | NE 15 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 14 | NNW 6 | NNE 14 | NNE 14 | NNE 13 | NE 13 | NE 16 | N 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 5 | 6 | 131 | 432 | 226 | 150 | 105 | 55 | 24 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 19 | 31 | 31 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 8 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 2:09PM2.39m | 2:37AM2.34m | 3:21PM2.41m | 3:47AM2.37m | 4:28PM2.49m | 4:54AM2.43m | 5:26PM2.59m | 5:53AM2.53m | 6:18PM2.68m | 6:46AM2.61m | 7:06PM2.74m | 7:35AM2.66m | 7:51PM2.75m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:45PM0.81m | 9:06AM0.68m | 9:51PM0.78m | 10:15AM0.65m | 10:56PM0.71m | 11:19AM0.59m | 11:55PM0.62m | 12:17PM0.51m | 00:47AM0.53m | 1:07PM0.44m | 1:35AM0.47m | 1:53PM0.41m | 2:19AM0.43m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | |  | | |  | | |  |  |  | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — |
 | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — |
mm | — | — | — | 2 | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 7 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 |
Feels °C | 11 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 4 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 10 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NNW 8 | N 7 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | N 6 | N 6 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NNW 6 | NNW 8 | NNE 14 | NNE 13 | NE 12 | NE 12 | NE 14 |
| kJ | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 226 | 150 | 105 | 55 | 24 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 14 | 8 | 31 | 6 | 18 | 17 | 6 | 6 | 8 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 9 | N 9 | — | — | NE 9 | E 9 | N 16 | NE 16 | NE 17 | NE 15 | NE 15 | E 5 | NNE 14 | NE 14 | ENE 8 | NNE 14 | ENE 9 | E 9 | NE 13 | NE 12 | N 12 |
| kJ | 2 | 2 | — | — | 3 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 19 | 31 | 6 | 20 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 3 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 16 | E 10 | E 10 | NE 10 | NE 8 | NE 14 | — | NE 16 | NE 12 | ENE 9 | NE 13 | NE 12 | N 7 | NE 16 | N 16 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 | — | 10 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 5 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 3 | NNW 4 | NNW 6 | NNW 7 | — | W 4 | SW 4 | SW 4 | SSW 4 | SSW 3 | S 3 | SW 3 | WNW 4 | NW 4 | W 4 | SW 5 | SW 4 | W 4 | WSW 4 | WSW 5 | SW 5 |
| kJ | 5 | 6 | 131 | 432 | — | 45 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 19 | 60 | 45 | 36 | 45 | 77 | 104 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 371 | 371 | 378 | 263 | 7 | 72 | 0 | 0 | 72 | 64 | 86 | 66 | 86 | 22 | 209 | 22 | 365 | 112 | 378 | 574 | 359 |
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.
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