Surf Forecasts:
Whakatane Heads surf forecast from 7 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 8 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 9s period, N swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 8 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 9s period, N swell with 550 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 8 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 9s period with N swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Whakatane Heads this week:
The surf forecast for Whakatane Heads over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 08) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Whakatane Heads in the next 16 days are 1.9m 9s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 08) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Friday (Jul 10) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Wed 8th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Wed 8th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Wed 8th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Whakatane Heads over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
G’day, Rusty here, checking in on what’s happening at Whakatane Heads.
Right now, we’re in for a bit of a flat spell. The next few days have surf, but it’s not the kind that gets you paddling out – it’s small and weak. The water temp’s sitting at 60°F, which is about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Wednesday morning the 8th is the only real standout in this whole run. We’ve got a 5ft swell coming from the NNW, with a period of 9 seconds – that’s a decent groundswell with some energy in it. The wind’s blowing offshore from the south at 6 mph, and with that the waves will be clean, lined up, and offering a bit of push. The combined swell energy reads 466 (moderate), which means there’s enough grunt to make it worthwhile. For an advanced spot like Whakatane Heads, that’s a solid morning. Keep an eye on the crowds though – it can get busy here when it’s good.
After that, the swell fades fast. Thursday morning the 9th drops to 2ft, still clean with a southerly offshore at 9 mph, but the energy is down to 72 – it’s weak, small, and barely rideable. Thursday afternoon gets blown out with 16 mph winds, and from Friday the 10th through to Tuesday the 14th, it’s all tiny, low-energy slop – think 1ft to 0.3ft swells with combined energies as low as 5. That’s a stretch of about five days with nothing to recommend.
We do see a pulse returning around Wednesday morning the 15th with a 6ft N swell, period of 7 seconds. That’s a short-period wind swell, and with cross-shore winds from the WNW at 9 mph, it’s going to be lumpy and a bit messy. Combined energy is 322 (moderate), so there’s size, but the quality is marginal. Not a standout.
Thursday the 16th pushes up to 8ft from the NNW, period of 8 seconds, with energy jumping to 638 (moderate-to-strong). That’s big for this spot – definitely expert territory, and with rain showers and cross-shore winds, it’s going to be a choppy beast. Only for the brave.
By Friday the 17th afternoon, the wind swings offshore from the SSW at 9 mph and the swell drops to 3ft – that’s surfable, but ordinary. And then it’s back to small, weak conditions through to the end of the forecast window.
So to sum it up: if you want the best, get out Wednesday morning the 8th at Whakatane Heads. It’s clean, it’s got some push, and it’s the only real window of quality before a long flat spell.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Wed afternoon, min 9°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the W on Wed afternoon, fresh winds from the S by Thu night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Sat afternoon, min 6°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tue 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 8 | N 9 | NNW 9 | N 8 | N 8 | NNE 8 | NE 9 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 8 | E 9 | N 11 | E 7 | N 11 | NE 12 | NE 12 | N 4 | N 4 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 293 | 550 | 337 | 313 | 161 | 58 | 30 | 31 | 10 | 13 | 8 | 18 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 8 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | glassy | glassy | off | glassy | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 00:07AM1.78m | 12:27PM1.67m | 00:52AM1.77m | 1:22PM1.70m | 1:42AM1.78m | 2:19PM1.75m | 2:41AM1.80m | 3:22PM1.80m | 3:46AM1.83m | 4:32PM1.87m | 4:51AM1.88m | 5:40PM1.97m | 5:53AM1.93m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:59PM0.42m | 6:41AM0.35m | 6:50PM0.48m | 7:28AM0.35m | 7:47PM0.52m | 8:20AM0.38m | 8:49PM0.53m | 9:19AM0.40m | 9:53PM0.52m | 10:23AM0.39m | 10:57PM0.50m | 11:26AM0.34m | 00:00AM0.46m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  | |  | | | |  | |  | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 |
 | 5:06 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:08 | — | 5:09 |
mm | 5 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 |
Temp °C | 13 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 |
Feels °C | 9 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 8 | N 9 | NNW 9 | N 8 | N 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 7 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 8 | E 6 | E 6 | E 7 | ENE 5 | ENE 4 | E 5 | NE 11 | NE 11 |
| kJ | 293 | 550 | 337 | 313 | 161 | 58 | 30 | 31 | 10 | 13 | 8 | 18 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 9 | NE 8 | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | NE 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 6 | N 13 | E 10 | NE 8 | E 9 | — | N 11 | NE 12 | NE 12 | E 5 | — |
| kJ | — | 14 | 112 | 16 | 15 | 6 | 21 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | 2 | 6 | 5 | 1 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 11 | E 10 | — | — | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 10 | N 14 | N 14 | — | E 9 | N 13 | E 9 | N 11 | E 9 | N 10 | N 11 | N 9 | — | — |
| kJ | — | 9 | 17 | — | — | 8 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 4 | — | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 8 | — | S 3 | — | S 2 | SSW 2 | S 3 | S 3 | S 4 | S 4 | S 3 | S 3 | — | SSE 3 | SSE 2 | — | — | — | NNE 3 | N 4 | N 4 |
| kJ | 244 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 18 | 13 | 5 | 3 | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 6 | 8 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 125 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 81 | 126 | 80 | 81 | 62 | 62 | 61 | 90 | 90 | 81 | 81 | 90 | 90 | 119 | 119 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Bay of Plenty | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Whakatane Heads Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Whakatane Heads provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Whakatane Heads can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Whakatane Heads 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 (Whakatane Heads) 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 Whakatane Heads 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 Bay of Plenty? If you are looking for accommodation near Whakatane Heads, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Bay of Plenty, consider staying in Whakatane which is 2 km (1 miles) away. Other places in and around Bay of Plenty where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Rotorua which is 70 km (43 miles) away and Tauranga, 79 km (49 miles) away.
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