Surf Forecasts:
Tawharanui surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 23 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 6s period, N swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 23 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 5s period, NNW swell with 48 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 6s 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 Sunday (Aug 23) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 13s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Tawharanui in the next 16 days are 0.9m 5s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tawharanui over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s talk Tawharanui. I’m gonna be straight with you – this 16-day stretch is a real sleeper. We’ve got a long run of days with hardly any swell, and when something does show up, the wind is usually playing games. You’re going to be doing a lot of waiting.
The first real glimmer of hope is on Friday, August 28th. The morning shows a tiny 4ft swell from the NE, but it’s a short-period 5 second wave, so it’s gutless. The combined energy is only 96, so it’s very weak. The wind is glassy, which is a big bonus, and the water temp is about normal for this time of year. It’s surfable, but it’s nothing to write home about. The afternoon gets worse with a cross-on wind making it choppy.
Then we hit another dry spell. The next decent moment is Sunday, August 30th. The morning sees a 5ft swell from the NNW with a 6 second period, but the wind is a moderate cross-shore and the combined energy is 155 (weak to moderate). It’s still messy. The afternoon cleans up a bit with a cross-off wind, but the swell drops right back to 3ft.
Monday, August 31st is your best bet. The morning has a 2ft swell from the NE with a 10 second period, with a clean offshore wind from the WSW. The combined energy is 83, so it’s weak. The afternoon stays clean with a moderate offshore. It’s small, but it’s the cleanest we’ve seen. Tuesday, September 1st is similar, with a clean offshore wind in the morning, but the swell is only 1ft.
After that, the wind gets ugly again. From Wednesday, September 2nd onward, it’s a mix of poor conditions and tiny swell. Thursday, September 3rd has strong offshore winds, but the swell is only 0.6ft, so you’re just paddling around on a lake. The rest of the window just fades out.
Look, this is one of those classic blank runs for Tawharanui. It’s a beach and reef setup, and with the swell this small and inconsistent, the few cleaner moments on Monday, August 31st are your only real shot. It’s not going to be a proper session, but if you’re jonesing, that’s your window. Don’t get your hopes up for the rest of it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun afternoon, min 11°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 9 | NE 14 | NE 14 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | N 6 | E 12 | E 12 | E 12 | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | NE 10 | NE 10 | E 12 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 6 | 8 | 8 | 44 | 48 | 26 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 2:15PM2.16m | 2:28AM2.13m | 3:21PM2.13m | 3:28AM2.09m | 4:24PM2.16m | 4:29AM2.11m | 5:16PM2.23m | 5:24AM2.16m | 6:01PM2.33m | 6:12AM2.25m | 6:41PM2.42m | 6:57AM2.34m | 7:21PM2.50m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:42PM0.99m | 8:56AM0.96m | 9:38PM1.03m | 9:53AM0.98m | 10:35PM1.03m | 10:52AM0.96m | 11:29PM0.99m | 11:47AM0.89m | 00:18AM0.92m | 12:35PM0.80m | 1:01AM0.82m | 1:18PM0.71m | 1:43AM0.73m | ||||||||
 | |  | |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — |
 | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 |
Feels °C | 10 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 8 | N 4 | NE 13 | NE 13 | N 6 | N 5 | N 5 | — | NE 10 | NE 11 | NE 11 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 8 |
| kJ | 6 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 26 | 2 | 2 | — | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 16 | NE 14 | NE 14 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | NE 11 | NE 11 | NE 10 | — | E 13 | E 12 | — | — | E 12 | — | NE 7 | — | — | N 11 | — |
| kJ | 5 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | — | 3 | 3 | — | — | 3 | — | 2 | — | — | 2 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | E 7 | E 10 | NE 10 | NE 11 | E 12 | E 12 | E 12 | E 13 | — | — | — | — | N 12 | NE 7 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 3 | W 2 | — | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | SW 3 | SSW 3 | SW 3 | SW 3 | WSW 3 | WSW 3 | SW 3 | SW 3 | — | SSW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 3 |
| kJ | 1 | 1 | — | 44 | 48 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 6 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 66 | 359 | 359 | 359 | 369 | 202 | 202 | 202 | 202 | 202 | 202 | 202 | 202 | 202 | 208 | 72 | 256 | 64 | 64 | 279 | 67 |
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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