Nazare Big Wave Challenge Gets Yellow Alert, Could Run Saturday in Giant Waves
70-foot plus waves predicted for Portuguese big wave tow surfing competition.
Surf Forecasts:
The surf forecast for The Bluff-South Side over the next 12 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Dec 21) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.2m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 13s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Bluff-South Side in the next 12 days are 3.5m 15s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Dec 17) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 10s period and expected on Tuesday (Dec 23) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Sun 21st Dec) | 7ft (2.2m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Sun 21st Dec) | 7ft (2.2m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Wed 17th Dec) | 11ft (3.5m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Bluff-South Side over the next 12 days.
Short Range Forecast Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 20°C on Tue afternoon, min 17°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 3-6 Weather Summary Light rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Warm (max 20°C on Sat morning, min 17°C on Sun morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Sat morning, calm by Sun morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Tue 16 | Wednesday 17 | Thursday 18 | Friday 19 | Saturday 20 | Sunday 21 | Monday 22 | |||||||||||||||||
| PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |||
Rating (10 max) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wave Height (m) & direction (?) | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | WSW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | WSW | WSW | SW | W | ||
| Period(s) (?) | 13 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 7 | ||
Wave (?)Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 208 | 1775 | 3953 | 5774 | 4334 | 3186 | 2504 | 1671 | 1107 | 939 | 756 | 491 | 988 | 749 | 1619 | 1249 | 960 | 1342 | 1514 | 341 | 261 | |||
Wind (km/h) | NW | SW | SW | SSW | SSW | SW | SW | SW | W | W | W | WNW | WSW | SW | WNW | WNW | WNW | NW | NW | NW | NW | ||
| Wind State (?) onshore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore offshore glassy | cross | on | on | on | cross- on | on | on | on | cross- on | cross- on | cross- on | cross- on | cross- on | on | glass | cross | cross- on | cross | cross | cross | cross | ||
High Tide / height (m) | 7:08PM 1.93 | 7:48AM 2.00 | 7:56PM 1.96 | 8:32AM 2.08 | 8:40PM 2.01 | 9:14AM 2.15 | 9:22PM 2.05 | 9:54AM 2.20 | 10:02PM 2.08 | 10:32AM 2.24 | 10:41PM 2.10 | 11:11AM 2.27 | 11:19PM 2.10 | 11:48AM 2.27 | |||||||||
Low Tide / height (m) | 1:28AM 0.46 | 1:56PM 0.63 | 2:12AM 0.42 | 2:40PM 0.57 | 2:53AM 0.37 | 3:22PM 0.52 | 3:34AM 0.32 | 4:02PM 0.47 | 4:13AM 0.28 | 4:42PM 0.43 | 4:51AM 0.26 | 5:21PM 0.42 | 5:29AM 0.26 | ||||||||||
Tue 16 | Wednesday 17 | Thursday 18 | Friday 19 | Saturday 20 | Sunday 21 | Monday 22 | |||||||||||||||||
| Sunrise | - | - | 6:09 | - | - | 6:09 | - | - | 6:09 | - | - | 6:09 | - | - | 6:11 | - | - | 6:11 | - | - | 6:11 | ||
| Sunset | 8:37 | - | - | 8:37 | - | - | 8:37 | - | - | 8:38 | - | - | 8:39 | - | - | 8:39 | - | - | 8:40 | - | - | ||
Rain (mm) | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 2 | 4 | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| Temp. °C | 20 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | ||
| Feels °C (?) | 18 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 17 | ||

70-foot plus waves predicted for Portuguese big wave tow surfing competition.

Surf-forecast is providing a free, all-access pass to our premium features and 12-day forecasts all weekend.

Previously used in our snow jackets for mountain conditions, PrimaLoft® technology is making its debut in the surf industry. The aim is to bring mountain-grade warmth to the waves.

Surf-Forecast recently helped the 21-year-old Canadian pro surfer and adventurer score some cold water perfection at home.
Discover more articles and updates in the Greenroom.
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our The Bluff-South Side surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
The above surf forecast table for The Bluff-South Side provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 12 days. A general guide to surfing at The Bluff-South Side can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our The Bluff-South Side 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 (The Bluff-South Side) 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 The Bluff-South Side 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.
Are you planning a holiday in Northland? If you are looking for accommodation near The Bluff-South Side, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Northland, consider staying in Houhora which is 21 km (13 miles) away.

