Tawharanui Surf Break

Lat Long: 36.37° S 174.84° E

Tawharanui Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 pm 05 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Tawharanui sea temperature is
14.5°C
0.1° 

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


Tawharanui surf forecast from 5 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 7 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 7s period, N swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 7s period, NNW swell with 385 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 7 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 7s 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 Monday (Sep 07) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 11s. 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 2.1m 7s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 5s period and expected on Friday (Sep 11) at 3AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6PM (Mon 7th Sep)3.5ft (1.1m) 7s
Best Surf 6PM (Mon 7th Sep)3.5ft (1.1m) 7s
Most Powerful 9AM (Mon 7th Sep)7ft (2.1m) 7s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, this is Rusty. Let me level with you about Tawharanui. Over this 16-day stretch, it’s pretty grim. There’s nothing worth getting excited about for a solid week, and the whole run is a struggle. The first real chance of anything with a pulse doesn’t come around until Monday the 7th, and even that is a battle.

The water here is sitting at 58°F, which is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual.

After days of tiny, weak surf, Monday morning the 7th sees a pulse of 7ft swell from the NNW, but the period is short at 7 seconds, so it’ll be fat and sloppy. The combined energy hits 387 (moderate wave energy), which sounds bigger than it will actually look. Plus, there’s light rain and a moderate cross-off breeze. It’s more of a messy, lumpy situation than anything worth paddling for. The afternoon drops off to 4ft, so that window closes fast.

Tuesday the 8th offers a tiny sliver of hope. The early morning shows 3ft from the north with an 8-second period, but the wind turns offshore from the SW at just 3 mph, so it’s clean. The energy is weak – only 98 – but it’s surfable if you’re desperate. The break is a beach and reef setup, open to the NE, and the guidance says the optimum swell direction is from the NE, so this small north swell is at least in the right ballpark. But the combined energy is under 100, so don’t expect much push. Crowds are ‘often’ here, so you might have company for the few crumbly ones you’ll find. It’s not a standout, just the least bad option.

From there, it’s a long, grinding run of tiny, weak surf. The combined energy barely scrapes into double digits most days. We get loads of strong offshore breezes in the second week, which would be perfect if there was any swell to groom. On Tuesday morning the 15th, we see clean conditions with a 16 mph offshore from the WSW, but the swell is only 0.3ft and the energy is 16 – totally unrideable. That pattern holds for days. There’s a brief bump on Wednesday the 16th with 4ft from the NW and a short 5-second period, but the energy is still under 100 and the conditions are ordinary.

Honestly, if you don’t surf on Tuesday the 8th, your next possible look is Thursday the 17th afternoon, when we see 3ft from the NNW with a 6-second period and clean offshore wind. The energy is 56 (weak), so it’s barely a wave. That’s the best of the second week, and it’s not saying much.

There’s no standout day here. If I had to pick one, it’s Tuesday morning the 8th, just because it’s the only time the wind is truly offshore on a swell that isn’t completely flat. But keep your expectations on the floor.

Tawharanui is fairly consistent as a break, so this blank run is a bit unusual. The forecasts can change, but right now? Leave the board at home.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun afternoon, min 12°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NNW on Sun night, calm by Mon night).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue afternoon, min 10°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed afternoon, fresh winds from the WSW by Thu night).

Sat
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
Friday
11
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
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)
0.2
ENE
11
0.2
ENE
10
0.4
NW
3
0.5
N
4
1.5
N
6
2.1
NNW
7
1.3
N
7
1.2
NNW
7
0.9
N
8
0.6
N
8
0.5
N
7
0.4
N
6
0.3
N
6
0.3
NE
8
0.2
NNE
14
0.3
NE
14
0.5
N
6
0.2
NNE
14
0.2
NNE
14
0.2
NNE
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
11
10
4
7
149
385
171
164
98
40
24
13
9
9
19
31
21
20
19
17
Wind (km/h)
20
WSW
10
WNW
15
NW
15
NNW
30
NNW
20
WNW
15
WNW
5
WNW
5
SW
15
W
10
W
5
WNW
0
WSW
15
WSW
25
W
25
WSW
35
WSW
35
WSW
35
W
40
WSW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
1:32AM2.37m
2:09PM2.39m
2:37AM2.34m
3:21PM2.41m
3:47AM2.37m
4:28PM2.49m
4:54AM2.43m
5:26PM2.59m
5:53AM2.53m
6:18PM2.68m
6:46AM2.61m
7:06PM2.74m
Low Tide
7:39PM0.80m
8:01AM0.66m
8:45PM0.81m
9:06AM0.68m
9:51PM0.78m
10:15AM0.65m
10:56PM0.71m
11:19AM0.59m
11:55PM0.62m
12:17PM0.51m
00:47AM0.53m
1:07PM0.44m
1:35AM0.47m
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
rain showers
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:33
6:33
6:31
6:30
6:28
6:26
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:02
6:04
6:04
6:05
6:06
6:07
6:07
 mm
2
2
3
4
Temp °C
15
12
15
17
16
16
14
13
15
15
13
14
14
12
14
13
11
14
14
13
Feels °C
10
9
11
14
11
13
11
11
14
12
11
13
13
9
8
8
3
7
7
6
  • 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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