
Surf Forecasts:
Tawharanui surf forecast from 2 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 5 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 11s period, E swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 7 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 8s period, NE swell with 678 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 5 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 11s period with E 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 (Jul 05) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 6s. 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 Tuesday (Jul 07) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 08) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Sun 5th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Sun 5th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Tue 7th Jul) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tawharanui over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
G’day, Rusty here. Right, let’s have a look at what Tawharanui’s got on offer over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough stretch. The first week and a bit are pretty grim, with no real surf worth paddling out for until the very end. There’s a big gap of nearly two weeks of poor to marginal conditions before we get a couple of interesting days, but even those come with serious caveats.
The water temp is running about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Let’s start from the beginning. Friday July 3rd through to Tuesday the 7th – forget it. We’ve got small, weak easterly swells averaging 3ft to 5ft, but the wind is all wrong – cross-onshore or onshore, with moderate breezes making a mess of things. Wave energy is weak to moderate (143 up to 422), and the conditions are rated poor. Not worth your time.
Wednesday the 8th and Thursday the 9th see a slight improvement in wind direction – cross-off from the SSW – but the swell remains small, around 3ft to 4ft, and the energy is only moderate (214 and 105-113). Still, it’s clean. The problem is the wave comment says it’s marginal at best, and the scores are too low to get excited.
Friday the 10th through Monday the 13th: the wind finally turns offshore from the SW and SSW, and conditions get clean, even glassy on Monday afternoon. But the swell fades to nothing – 1.0ft to 2ft – with weak energy (19 to 90). You can paddle out if you’re desperate for a longboard or a foiler, but honestly, it’s ordinary.
Tuesday the 14th is wet and windy onshore – no chance.
Wednesday the 15th brings moderate rain and a jump in swell to 5ft, then 8ft, but it’s coming from the NE with onshore winds and a short, crumbly period of 5 to 6 seconds. Energy is moderate to strong (155 to 570), but the conditions are poor. Not recommended.
Now here’s where it gets interesting. Thursday July 16th: dawn patrol is the standout of the whole outlook. Tawharanui (beach and reef) gets a solid 8ft easterly swell with a 9-second period, and the wind is cross-off from the WNW – light breeze, clean. The combined energy is strong at 1153, and the wave comment says excellent for experienced surfers. That’s your best bet, but keep in mind the swell is over 8ft, so it’s expert territory only. The afternoon sees the wind shift west, still cross-off, but the energy drops to 868 and the period shortens a touch – marginal conditions start creeping in.
Friday July 17th: this one is a head-scratcher. The swell pumps up to 12ft to 13ft from the east, with a strong 8-9 second period, and the wind is offshore from the WSW and SW – clean, strong offshore. The energy is massive at 1523 and 2295. But the wave comment says it’s predicted to be too big for this break. That’s a big red flag unless you’re charging on a gun and know the place well. For the average punter, it’s a pass.
Saturday July 18th: still big at 10ft from the east, but the wind is strong cross-off from the SSW, and the comment says marginal. The energy is still huge at 1494, but it’s a bit messy and too big for most.
So, the one true standout is Thursday July 16th morning at Tawharanui – 8ft east swell, light cross-off wind, clean, and plenty of energy. Expert only. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too big for the break. Also, Tawharanui can get crowded often, so if you nail that window, get in early.
Signing off, Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat afternoon, min 12°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the ESE on Thu night, fresh winds from the N by Sat night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Sun night. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun night, min 10°C on Wed morning). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 3 | Saturday 4 | Sunday 5 | Monday 6 | Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thu 9 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 12 | E 12 | E 12 | N 6 | E 11 | E 10 | N 6 | NNW 6 | N 5 | N 6 | E 10 | NNE 8 | ESE 6 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 9 | E 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
133 | 141 | 171 | 247 | 239 | 180 | 116 | 79 | 73 | 152 | 104 | 66 | 243 | 200 | 559 | 504 | 214 | 145 | 113 | 104 | 113 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:07AM2.33m | 9:35PM2.46m | 9:50AM2.34m | 10:15PM2.47m | 10:32AM2.34m | 10:55PM2.46m | 11:14AM2.33m | 11:37PM2.43m | 11:58AM2.32m | 00:22AM2.41m | 12:45PM2.30m | 1:10AM2.38m | 1:38PM2.29m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:18AM0.76m | 3:27PM0.65m | 3:59AM0.73m | 4:05PM0.66m | 4:41AM0.72m | 4:45PM0.70m | 5:23AM0.72m | 5:27PM0.75m | 6:08AM0.72m | 6:16PM0.80m | 6:56AM0.71m | 7:12PM0.84m | 7:48AM0.69m | ||||||||
— | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | |
— | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | 1 | 8 | — | — | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 |
Feels °C | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 12 | E 12 | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | N 7 | N 8 | NNE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 9 | E 10 |
133 | 141 | 171 | 247 | 239 | 180 | 116 | 79 | 73 | 72 | 49 | 50 | 49 | 200 | 448 | 107 | 214 | 145 | 113 | 104 | 113 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 11 | N 10 | N 10 | N 10 | N 10 | N 10 | N 10 | NE 6 | NE 6 | — | — | — | — | E 10 | — | E 12 | — | — | NE 9 | N 8 | — |
2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 16 | — | — | — | — | 30 | — | 3 | — | — | 50 | 1 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 9 | N 9 | — | — | — | — | N 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | NE 3 | NE 3 | NNE 4 | N 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | N 6 | NNW 6 | N 5 | N 6 | E 10 | NNE 8 | ESE 6 | S 5 | S 4 | S 3 | S 4 | S 4 |
— | — | — | 4 | 5 | 29 | 104 | 41 | 20 | 152 | 104 | 66 | 243 | 186 | 559 | 504 | 42 | 11 | 8 | 28 | 15 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 1 | 64 | 8 | 65 | 369 | 27 | 0 | 7 | 168 | 7 | 38 | 61 | 68 | 68 | 73 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 197 | 13 |
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.










