Tawharanui Surf Break

Lat Long: 36.37° S 174.84° E

Tawharanui Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 am 27 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Tawharanui sea temperature is
13.8°C
0.7° 

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


Tawharanui surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 8s period, N swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 8s period, N swell with 692 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 29 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 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 Saturday (Aug 29) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 8s period. 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 2.3m 8s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 4s period and expected on Monday (Aug 31) at 6AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 3PM (Sat 29th Aug)6.5ft (2.0m) 8s
Best Surf 3PM (Sat 29th Aug)6.5ft (2.0m) 8s
Most Powerful12PM (Sat 29th Aug)7.5ft (2.3m) 8s

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


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here, lookin’ at the forecast for Tawharanui. I’ll be straight with ya – the next 16 days are a tough watch for any surfer hangin’ for a proper wave. There’s a long dry spell up front, and only one window that really gets the heart goin’. Let’s wade through it.

First things first – there’s a gap of a few days with no real surf on offer. The first record that even hints at something is on Saturday, the 29th of August. We’ve got a bit of a northerly swell on the way, but it’s messy. The wind is onshore from the north at 19 mph, and the swell is around 7 ft but with a short period of 8 seconds – that’s wind swell, not groundswell, so it’s gonna be bumpy and lumpy. It’s a beach and reef setup here, and with the wind honkin’ cross-on, it’s lookin’ more like a session for the kite crew than paddle surfers.

Then, Saturday afternoon, the 29th, things get interestin’. The wind swings to a light westerly, 6 mph, and it’s cross-offshore. That’s a big turn for the better. The swell is still 7 ft from the north, period 8 seconds, but the energy jumps to 562 – that’s a strong pulse of wave energy. The water temp is about 57°, which is about 1° cooler than normal for this time of year – nothin’ wild, just a bit on the nippy side. For a beginner-friendly spot that’s fairly consistent, this is the standout. The swell direction is north, and the optimum is northeast, so it’s close enough. The wind is clean, the waves will be clean, and it’s the best on offer. But, this spot gets crowded often, so expect company.

After Saturday, we hit another gap. Sunday the 30th through to Tuesday the 8th of September is mostly poor. The swell drops right off – under 3 ft – and the wind is either fresh offshore or cross-off, but the waves are just too small to get excited about. The energy numbers are low, all under 100. There’s a moment on Sunday the 6th of September when the swell picks up to 6 ft from the north-northwest, but the wind is cross-on, and the period is short at 7 seconds. The energy is a moderate 318, but the wind kills it. Again, for the beach and reef combo, kite surfers might have a laugh, but for paddlin’ – it’s a no.

Then, from the 9th to the 11th of September, the wind is onshore from the northeast, and the swell pops up again. The 10th of September Thursday afternoon shows a 8 ft swell from the north with a period of 7 seconds, and energy of 530 – a strong pulse. But the onshore 12 mph wind from the northeast is gonna make it a choppy, bumpy mess. That’s over 8 ft, which is expert territory, and with the wind on it, it’s ugly. The 11th of September Friday has more rain and onshore wind with a 4 ft swell – still no good.

So here’s the bottom line: the only real standout is Saturday afternoon, August 29th. The rest of the 16 days is a lot of flat spells and blown-out scraps. Keep an eye on the charts, but for now, if you’re jonesin’ for a wave, that Saturday afternoon is your shot.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat afternoon, min 12°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WNW on Thu morning, fresh winds from the N by Sat morning).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Sun afternoon, light winds from the WSW by Tue night).

Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
Tuesday
1
Wednesday
2
AM
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
3
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
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)
0.1
E
12
0.1
NE
9
0.1
N
12
1.1
N
5
1.3
N
5
1.3
N
6
2
N
8
2
N
8
1.5
NNE
8
1
NNE
8
0.6
NNE
8
0.8
NNE
9
0.6
NNE
9
0.5
NE
9
0.5
NE
10
0.5
NE
10
0.4
NE
10
0.4
NE
9
0.4
NE
9
0.3
NE
8
0.4
NE
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
4
3
3
53
92
132
451
562
286
122
45
99
50
36
46
45
33
29
19
11
25
Wind (km/h)
10
WNW
15
NNE
15
NNE
25
NNE
30
N
25
N
30
N
10
W
30
SW
30
WSW
35
WSW
35
WSW
30
WSW
30
W
30
WSW
25
WSW
25
WSW
15
W
20
WNW
25
W
25
W
Wind State
cross-off
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
6:41PM2.42m
6:57AM2.34m
7:21PM2.50m
7:39AM2.43m
8:01PM2.56m
8:21AM2.50m
8:42PM2.60m
9:03AM2.54m
9:24PM2.61m
9:46AM2.55m
10:07PM2.59m
10:30AM2.54m
10:53PM2.55m
Low Tide
12:35PM0.80m
1:01AM0.82m
1:18PM0.71m
1:43AM0.73m
1:59PM0.63m
2:24AM0.64m
2:38PM0.58m
3:04AM0.58m
3:18PM0.56m
3:46AM0.54m
3:59PM0.58m
4:29AM0.53m
4:44PM0.63m
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
cloud
light rain
light rain
light rain
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:48
6:47
6:45
6:43
6:43
6:41
6:39
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:55
5:57
5:58
5:58
5:59
6:00
6:00
 mm
2
3
2
Temp °C
14
14
14
14
15
15
16
17
13
15
15
14
13
14
13
15
15
12
14
15
14
Feels °C
13
11
12
9
10
11
11
16
7
9
9
8
6
8
7
10
10
10
9
10
9
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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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