Surf Forecasts:
Tawharanui surf forecast from 27 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 10s period, NE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 8s period, N swell with 781 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 10s period with NE 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 (Sep 01) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 10s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Tawharanui in the next 16 days are 2.4m 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 1.1m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 8ft (2.4m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tawharanui over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right then, let’s have a look at what’s happening at Tawharanui. This is a beach and reef set-up that’s fairly consistent, but the next 16 days are looking pretty grim for paddle surfing, to be honest. The water temp is sitting at 57°F which is about 1°F cooler than normal for this time of year, so nothing too wild there.
The first real chance of anything comes on Saturday the 29th of August, but it’s not great. There’s a moderate swell energy of 527 (moderate) in the morning, rising to 769 (moderate) in the afternoon, with waves around 7 ft to 8 ft coming from the N to NNE. The problem is the wind is cross-on all day, and it’s only a 8-second period, so it’s going to be lumpy and messy. The afternoon session is only rated as marginal. This spot is exposed to the swell, but with the wind all wrong, it’s not a good bet.
Sunday the 30th of August brings a clean offshore but the swell drops back to 3 ft, and the energy is down to 140 (weak). It’s 8-second period, so nothing to write home about. The rest of the first week is a write-off – tiny waves, weak energy, mostly cross-off or offshore winds, but the swell is just too small. The 8th of September, Tuesday morning, is the first time the energy cracks 100 (113 – weak), with a 3 ft swell from the N and a 7-second period, but it’s described as “surfable but very ordinary.” The wind is a light cross-off, so it’s clean, but it’s hardly a standout.
To be honest, there’s nothing here that screams “go.” The best option in the whole outlook is probably Saturday the 29th of August afternoon, but with that wind and short period, it’s more suited to experienced surfers who don’t mind a rough surface. For beginners, it’s too big and messy. The swell direction (NNE) is off from the optimum NE, and the wind is cross-on, so it’s not going to be pretty. The combined energy is moderate, but the quality is poor.
If you’re a kitesurfer, that Saturday afternoon might be worth a look – the wind is light and cross-on, but the swell is there. For paddle surfing, it’s a long wait for very little. The whole 16-day window is a dud. Tawharanui is fairly consistent, so it’s a bit of a bummer, but sometimes the forecast just doesn’t line up. Keep an eye on it, but don’t get your hopes up.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during 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 SSW by Sat night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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 | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | NE 9 | N 12 | N 5 | N 5 | N 6 | N 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NE 8 | NE 9 | NNE 9 | NE 9 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 9 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 4 | 3 | 3 | 44 | 75 | 124 | 523 | 766 | 280 | 122 | 93 | 81 | 53 | 40 | 46 | 45 | 32 | 29 | 25 | 11 | 24 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-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 | ||||||||
 | |  |  | |  |  |  | | | |  |  | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — |
 | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 12 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
Feels °C | 13 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 10 | NE 9 | NE 8 | N 11 | — | — | E 14 | E 13 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NE 8 | NE 9 | NNE 9 | NE 9 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 9 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 10 |
| kJ | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 4 | 3 | 280 | 122 | 93 | 81 | 53 | 40 | 46 | 45 | 32 | 29 | 25 | 11 | 24 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NE 9 | E 10 | NE 9 | E 15 | — | — | E 13 | NW 8 | NNW 7 | N 7 | N 6 | N 6 | — | — | — | — | N 12 | NE 11 | N 11 |
| kJ | — | — | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | — | — | 3 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 5 | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | — | N 12 | E 11 | E 11 | — | — | — | — | E 12 | E 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 12 | N 12 | — |
| kJ | 3 | — | 3 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NNE 3 | N 5 | N 5 | N 6 | N 8 | NNE 8 | SSW 4 | SW 4 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | SW 4 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | SW 3 | SW 3 | W 3 | W 3 | WNW 3 |
| kJ | — | — | 3 | 44 | 75 | 124 | 523 | 766 | 23 | 35 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 19 | 23 | 18 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 102 | 64 | 64 | 359 | 369 | 64 | 64 | 7 | 80 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 66 | 22 | 86 |
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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