Surf Forecasts:
Whakatane Heads surf forecast from 9 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 10 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 13s period, NE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 6s period, NW swell with 120 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 10 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 13s period with NE 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 Thursday (Sep 10) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 5s. 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 1.3m 6s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 12) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Thu 10th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Thu 10th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 9PM (Wed 16th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Whakatane Heads over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what’s on offer for Whakatane Heads over the next couple of weeks.
Honestly, it’s a bit of a grim run. The entire 16-day window is a struggle. I’m looking at a real dry spell here – the kind where you’re better off checking the tide pools or getting the gear ready for a trip away. The combined wave energy is very weak, sitting in the low double digits or just under 100 for most of this period. The swell is tiny, the wind is mostly onshore or cross-shore, and the conditions just aren't coming together for a decent paddle-out.
We kick off on Thursday the 10th of September with a tiny 1.0ft NE windswell. The wind is cross-off in the morning but there’s just no energy. By afternoon, the wind swings NW and picks up, making for a choppy mess.
Friday the 11th of September sees the morning go offshore from the SSE with a clean surface and the same 1ft swell, but it’s just too small to get excited about. It’s surfable, but you’d be scratching for a wave.
The pattern really doesn’t change. Day after day we see tiny swells, mostly under 2 feet, with onshore or cross-shore winds. There’s a brief moment of glass on Tuesday morning the 15th of September with some 0.7ft NNE swell, but it’s flat. Later in the week, the swell direction swings to the WNW, but it's short-period slop, and the NW wind picks up to 16 mph, making things messy.
Even into the second week, it’s more of the same. There’s a slight bump in energy on Wednesday the 23rd of September with a clean morning and a 3ft NNW swell, but the afternoon onshore wind kills it. The following day brings moderate wave energy (192) with a 3ft N swell, but it’s still plagued by poor conditions.
The bottom line: there is no standout, no hidden gem, no session worth chasing in this entire outlook. The swell never breaks the 3 feet mark, the wind is rarely your friend, and consistency is terrible. A full 16 days without a decent recommendation is a rough go, but for this area, it happens. The forecast can change, but right now, I wouldn’t be holding my breath.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat morning, min 8°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun afternoon, min 8°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | ||||||||||||||
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) | NE 8 | NE 14 | NE 14 | NE 12 | NE 9 | NE 13 | NE 9 | NE 13 | NE 13 | NE 13 | NE 13 | NE 13 | NE 12 | NE 12 | NE 12 | NE 12 | NNE 11 | NNE 13 | W 4 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 20 | 29 | 47 | 24 | 31 | 44 | 24 | 44 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 12 | 17 | 16 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | off | off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | off | glassy | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:20AM1.71m | 5:57PM1.90m | 6:18AM1.75m | 6:46PM1.90m | 7:12AM1.79m | 7:33PM1.87m | 8:01AM1.82m | 8:20PM1.83m | 8:46AM1.83m | 9:06PM1.80m | 9:31AM1.81m | 9:51PM1.77m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:27PM0.37m | 11:42AM0.28m | 00:24AM0.31m | 12:37PM0.26m | 1:17AM0.24m | 1:31PM0.25m | 2:06AM0.20m | 2:22PM0.24m | 2:52AM0.18m | 3:09PM0.25m | 3:35AM0.19m | 3:53PM0.28m | |||||||
 |  |  |  |  | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — |
mm | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 17 | 17 | 11 | 16 | 19 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 11 |
Feels °C | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 11 | 7 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 5 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 13 | NE 13 | NW 4 | NE 13 | NE 13 | WNW 5 | NE 12 | NE 12 | NW 4 | WNW 4 | NNE 13 | NE 11 |
| kJ | 12 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 8 | 19 | 20 | 44 | 27 | 5 | 26 | 27 | 4 | 23 | 23 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 5 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 8 | N 5 | NE 14 | NE 12 | NE 9 | NE 13 | NNE 12 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 13 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 12 | NE 3 | N 13 | NE 12 | NNE 11 | NE 11 | N 12 |
| kJ | 20 | 8 | 47 | 24 | 31 | 44 | 15 | 7 | 7 | 27 | 3 | 3 | 24 | 2 | 3 | 22 | 12 | 5 | 11 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 14 | NE 14 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 12 | NE 12 | NE 11 | — | N 11 | ENE 8 | NE 4 | N 15 | N 14 | N 14 | E 15 | N 13 | NE 13 | N 12 | NE 13 |
| kJ | 18 | 29 | 7 | 7 | 23 | 5 | 20 | — | 2 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 7 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NW 3 | — | — | NNW 5 | W 4 | WSW 4 | WNW 5 | ESE 3 | W 4 | W 4 | SE 2 | — | NNE 4 | — | WSW 2 | WNW 3 | W 4 |
| kJ | — | — | 4 | — | — | 19 | 24 | 27 | 15 | 1 | 15 | 10 | 1 | — | 2 | — | 1 | 6 | 16 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 54 | 5 | 54 | 22 | 0 | 61 | 0 | 22 | 54 | 119 | 54 | 90 | 81 | 119 | 119 | 119 | 119 | 125 | 47 |
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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