Tawharanui Surf Break

Lat Long: 36.37° S 174.84° E

Tawharanui Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 15 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Tawharanui sea temperature is
15.0° C
0.2° 

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


Tawharanui surf forecast from 15 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 17 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 0.5ft (0.2m), 18s period, E swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 17 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 18s period, E swell with 96 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 17 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 0.5ft (0.2m), 18s 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 Friday (Jul 17) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.2m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 14s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Tawharanui in the next 16 days are 0.4m 18s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 17) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be 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 Friday (Jul 17) at 6PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)12AM (Fri 17th Jul)0.5ft (0.2m) 18s
Best Surf12AM (Fri 17th Jul)0.5ft (0.2m) 18s
Most Powerful 6AM (Fri 17th Jul)1.5ft (0.4m) 18s

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


The Lowdown

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s be straight with you – this 16-day window for Tawharanui is a tough one. There’s nothing on offer that I’d call a proper surf. The run starts with a blank, and frankly, it stays that way right through to the end of July. The longest gap is the whole forecast period, day after day after day of poor surf conditions. The only days that even register a whisper of something surfable are Friday the 17th afternoon, Saturday the 18th morning, and Tuesday the 21st morning, but even those are described as “very ordinary.” It’s the kind of run that’s more normal for this area when the swell windows just don’t line up, and the wind is often cross or cross-off, which isn’t helping.

The first hint of anything comes on Wednesday morning the 15th – a tiny 1.0ft swell from the north with a short 5-second period, weak energy (10), and cross-off wind. The water temp is 59°, which is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there. But honestly, you’d be better off staying home.

Friday the 17th afternoon is the best of a very bad bunch: a 1ft east swell with a 17-second period, giving a touch of long-period groundswell energy (moderate energy at 97). The wind is offshore from the southwest at 12 mph, so clean. Still, it’s tiny. If you’re a beginner, that 1ft is manageable, but you’ll be struggling for any kind of ride.

Saturday the 18th morning is similar – 1ft east swell, 15-second period, moderate energy (72) – but the wind is cross-off from the WSW at 9 mph, so it’s clean but weak. Tuesday the 21st morning has a 2ft north-east swell, but a short 5-second period, weak energy (42), and cross-off wind from the south at 6 mph. Clean, but again, not much to work with.

After that, it’s all downhill. The rest of the days are a mix of tiny swells, poor conditions, and strong winds. For a beach and reef setup like Tawharanui, with those short-period, weak swells, the setup is honestly more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer, if you’ve got the gear. There’s no standout session here. The forecast is reliable because it’s all near-term – but that reliability just confirms the bad news.

Signing off, Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu afternoon, min 11°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Some drizzle, heaviest during Sun night. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat afternoon, min 10°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Wednesday
15
Thursday
16
Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
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
1
0
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
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)
0.3
N
5
0.2
E
11
0.2
E
10
0.1
E
11
0.2
E
14
0.2
E
18
0.4
E
17
0.4
E
17
0.4
E
15
0.4
E
15
0.3
E
15
0.3
E
14
0.2
E
14
0.2
E
13
0.2
E
13
1
ENE
5
1
ENE
5
0.9
ENE
5
0.7
NE
5
0.5
NE
5
0.5
NE
5
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
4
9
8
4
16
26
94
89
74
71
38
36
16
14
13
56
62
46
28
13
12
Wind (km/h)
5
W
5
NW
10
W
10
W
15
WSW
15
SW
15
W
20
SW
20
WSW
15
WSW
25
WSW
25
SW
15
SW
20
SE
25
ESE
20
ESE
10
ESE
10
SSW
10
S
5
SE
10
SW
Wind State
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
cross
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
off
High Tide
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
11:34AM2.56m
11:53PM2.61m
12:22PM2.48m
00:40AM2.50m
Low Tide
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
5:34AM0.49m
5:46PM0.58m
6:21AM0.57m
6:38PM0.71m
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:28
7:28
7:28
7:28
7:26
7:26
7:26
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:22
5:23
5:24
5:24
5:25
5:27
5:27
 mm
1
Temp °C
14
15
14
14
16
13
14
14
12
13
14
13
13
14
13
12
12
12
10
11
11
Feels °C
13
14
13
12
13
10
10
10
8
9
9
8
9
10
8
8
9
11
8
9
8
  • Map Icons:
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  • 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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