
Surf Forecasts:
Tawharanui surf forecast from 13 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 14 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 6s period, NNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 18 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 17s period, E swell with 90 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 14 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 6s period with NNW 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 (Jul 14) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 6s. Another secondary swell of 0.1m and 9s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Tawharanui in the next 16 days are 0.4m 17s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 18) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 4s period and expected on Friday (Jul 17) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Tue 14th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Tue 14th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Sat 18th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tawharanui over the next 16 days.
Alright surfers, Rusty here. Let’s dive into what the next couple of weeks are serving up for the Tawharanui zone. I’ve gotta be straight with you—this ain’t a classic run. There’s a long stretch of flat, messy, or just plain frustrating conditions, but we’ll look for any glimmers where we can.
Right now, we’re stuck in a poor start. Monday and Tuesday (July 13-14) are a write-off with rain showers, cross-onshore junk, and tiny, weak swell. The energy readings are pathetically low (25-99), so don’t bother paddling out. That trend of small, poor surf carries right through most of the first week. Wednesday the 15th looks clean with light winds, but the swell is only 1 ft from the north—waist-high dribble. Not worth getting wet for.
Thursday the 16th is a tease. Glassy conditions in the morning with a slight air, but again, only 1 ft of north-northwest windswell. Come afternoon, it’s dead flat at 0.7 ft. You’d be scratching for anything.
Friday the 17th through Sunday the 19th finally sees some improvement, but we’re still talking about surfable but very ordinary conditions. The swell bumps up slightly to 2-2 ft from the east and north, with clean, light offshore winds from the south-southwest. The energy is still weak (49-93), but at least you could find a few crumbly waist-high waves at Tawharanui (beach and reef). The water temp sits at a pretty standard 59° for this time of year, so no surprises there. Crowds can be an issue here often, but on waves this small, you’ll likely have it mostly to yourself.
Then we hit a massive slump. From Monday July 20 right through to Monday July 27, it’s back to poor surf. A big blow-up on the 20th and 21st brings strong cross-shore winds and lumpy, choppy conditions. Later in that week, the wind goes strong offshore (SSW at 25 mph), cleaning things up, but the swell dies back to a pitiful 1 ft. Hard to paddle into, even if it looks clean. That’s a solid 8-day blank stretch for any decent wave.
The only standout—and I mean the *only* one worth a mention—arrives on the very last day of the forecast. Tuesday, July 28 sees a sudden jump in swell: 8-8 ft from the north, with cross-onshore wind. The combined energy is massive at 575-922, showing strong wave energy. This is a legitimate sized swell. However, the period is short (7-8 seconds) meaning it’s windswell, not groundswell, and with a cross-onshore wind, expect chopped-up, bumpy faces. At 8 ft, this is for experienced surfers only. The setup at Tawharanui’s beach and reef might also handle this better for kite surfing than paddle surfing. It’s a raw, challenging day, but it’s the only real size we see.
So, in a nutshell: don’t hold your breath for the first 15 days. There are a few clean but tiny windows mid-week, and then a big, gnarly pulse right at the end. If you’re desperate, the best bet is the clean, small conditions from Fri 17th to Sun 19th for a few cruisy waves. Everything else is a pass.
Stay patient, and check back—forecasts can shift.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Mon morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue morning, min 13°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 9 | N 4 | N 4 | N 5 | N 6 | N 5 | NNW 5 | E 11 | E 10 | NNW 4 | E 14 | E 18 | E 17 | E 16 | E 17 | E 16 | E 15 | E 14 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
16 | 13 | 30 | 75 | 74 | 29 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 16 | 25 | 52 | 85 | 90 | 76 | 38 | 35 | 16 | 14 | 13 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross | cross |
High Tide | 6:01PM2.59m | 6:21AM2.53m | 6:55PM2.70m | 7:18AM2.60m | 7:48PM2.77m | 8:12AM2.65m | 8:39PM2.81m | 9:05AM2.67m | 9:30PM2.81m | 9:56AM2.66m | 10:19PM2.77m | 10:46AM2.62m | 11:07PM2.71m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:44AM0.46m | 00:24AM0.58m | 12:46PM0.38m | 1:22AM0.49m | 1:43PM0.31m | 2:17AM0.42m | 2:36PM0.26m | 3:09AM0.39m | 3:24PM0.27m | 3:58AM0.40m | 4:11PM0.33m | 4:46AM0.43m | 4:58PM0.44m | ||||||||
7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | |
— | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | |
mm | 1 | 2 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
Feels °C | 11 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | N 5 | NNW 5 | NNE 4 | N 4 | E 11 | N 4 | N 5 | E 17 | E 16 | E 17 | E 16 | E 15 | E 14 | E 14 | E 13 | N 8 |
16 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 29 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 52 | 85 | 90 | 76 | 38 | 35 | 16 | 14 | 5 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 11 | NE 12 | NE 11 | NE 11 | NE 11 | E 10 | NNE 5 | NNW 5 | E 10 | NE 10 | E 14 | E 18 | N 5 | N 5 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | N 6 | N 8 | N 8 | E 13 |
2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 16 | 25 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 13 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 10 | N 11 | N 9 | NE 11 | N 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | E 11 | NE 10 | E 14 | NE 10 | E 14 | — | NE 9 | — | — | N 10 | S 3 | N 5 | N 6 | — |
2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 15 | — | 3 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 3 | N 4 | N 4 | N 5 | N 6 | — | — | N 5 | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | WNW 2 | SW 3 | SW 4 | SSW 4 | SSW 3 | S 3 | — | SSW 3 | — | SW 2 | S 4 |
5 | 13 | 30 | 75 | 74 | — | — | 4 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 13 | 6 | 1 | — | 2 | — | 1 | 10 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 64 | 67 | 81 | 67 | 22 | 59 | 60 | 183 | 208 | 66 | 59 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 22 | 67 | 64 |
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.










