Surf Forecasts:
Whakatane Heads surf forecast from 9 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 14 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 7s period, N swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 14 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 7s period, N swell with 401 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 14 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 7s 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 Tuesday (Jul 14) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Whakatane Heads in the next 16 days are 2.1m 7s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 3PM. 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 Friday (Jul 10) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Tue 14th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Tue 14th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Tue 14th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Whakatane Heads over the next 16 days.
Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for us.
Right off the bat, the next week and a half looks pretty bleak. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, weak waves with hardly any energy behind them. The water temp is sitting at about 60°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
For the first few days, from Thursday the 9th through to the end of the following week, it’s mostly small stuff. Thursday morning you might get a waist-high wave at Whakatane Heads, around 3ft from the NNE, with a clean southerly offshore breeze. The energy is weak (82), and the period is short at 8 seconds. It’s surfable, but only just. After that, it drops right off into knee-high or smaller for days on end with energy readings in the single digits. The wind is light and often offshore, but there's just nothing to push you around. It’s a proper flat spell, lasting from Friday the 10th all the way through to the weekend of the 18th.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Keep your eyes on Sunday the 19th. The afternoon session looks like it could be the first real standout. We’re looking at a clean 5ft swell rolling in from the NNW, with a 10-second period. The wind goes glassy – dead calm. The combined energy jumps right up to (710). That’s a solid wave, clean, and with that period it’ll have some punch. Whakatane Heads will be the spot.
But the real headline act is Monday the 20th. The morning is shaping up to be something special. We’ve got a big 16ft groundswell from the NNE, with a 10-second period. The energy is massive (7918). That is genuine, solid, expert-only territory. The wind is a light offshore from the SE, keeping it clean. This is not a day for beginners; this is a proper, heavy, powerful day for those who know what they’re doing. The afternoon does get a bit choppy with a cross-onshore wind, so hit it early.
The action continues into Tuesday the 21st with a still sizeable 8ft to 8ft swell from the NE and NNE, with a clean cross-offshore breeze. The energy is still strong (2428 and 1527). This is excellent for experienced surfers.
After that, the swell slowly winds down through Wednesday the 22nd and into the following week, with cleaner, smaller waves. The best of the 16-day window is without a doubt Monday the 20th morning, with Sunday the 19th afternoon as a very close second.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu morning, min 6°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the S on Thu afternoon, light winds from the SSE by Sat night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 26mm), heaviest during Tue morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Mon afternoon, min 9°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NNE 8 | NE 9 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 6 | E 10 | E 9 | N 11 | N 11 | N 11 | NE 12 | NE 12 | N 5 | N 6 | N 7 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | N 6 | N 5 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 64 | 29 | 28 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 34 | 237 | 401 | 119 | 45 | 15 | 5 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | glassy | glassy | cross-off | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 6:39PM2.07m | 6:51AM1.95m | 7:31PM2.13m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 12:23PM0.27m | 00:59AM0.42m | 1:17PM0.22m | 1:57AM0.38m | ||||||||
 |  |  | |  |  | |  |  | | | | | |  |  |  | | | | | |
 | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — |
 | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:10 | — |
mm | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 11 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 12 |
Feels °C | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 8 | NNE 7 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 6 | E 10 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 5 | — | NE 12 | NE 11 | — | NE 12 | NNE 6 | NNE 6 | N 6 | N 5 |
| kJ | 64 | 29 | 28 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 5 | 5 | — | 5 | 119 | 45 | 15 | 5 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | NE 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | NE 9 | NE 10 | NE 8 | N 11 | N 11 | N 11 | NE 12 | NE 9 | — | — | — | NE 11 | NE 11 | NE 5 | NNE 5 |
| kJ | 15 | 20 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 3 | — | — | — | 5 | 4 | 7 | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 9 | E 9 | — | N 14 | N 14 | — | E 10 | — | E 9 | E 8 | — | N 10 | N 11 | — | N 11 | — | — | — | NE 8 | NE 11 | ENE 5 |
| kJ | 3 | 6 | — | 4 | 4 | — | 2 | — | 2 | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | — | 2 | 4 | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 3 | SSW 4 | S 4 | S 4 | S 4 | S 3 | S 3 | — | SSE 3 | SSE 2 | — | — | — | NE 3 | N 5 | N 6 | N 7 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 3 | 13 | 18 | 35 | 14 | 5 | 3 | — | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | 34 | 237 | 401 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 81 | 121 | 80 | 81 | 62 | 61 | 90 | 90 | 81 | 90 | 90 | 119 | 119 | 119 | 119 | 22 | 0 | 90 | 121 | 90 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Bay of Plenty | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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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