Surf Forecasts:
Whakatane Heads surf forecast from 5 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 7 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 8s period, NNW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 7s period, NNW swell with 801 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 7 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 8s period with NNW 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 Monday (Sep 07) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 8s period. 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 2.5m 7s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 12) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Whakatane Heads over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Howdy, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been looking at this 16-day stretch for the Whakatane Heads area, and it’s a long, slow burn with a lot of flat spells. The first few days are a total dud, so don’t bother paddling out just yet. There’s a big gap of no decent surf from the start through the 7th of September, with mostly poor, choppy conditions. The best moment, if you’re willing to wait, hits on the morning of Tuesday, the 8th of September.
Day by day: the 5th of September is a waste—Saturday afternoon has a 1.0m NW swell, a short 4-second period, and a cross-on WNW breeze. The combined energy is weak (40), and it’s just poor. The 6th is glassy on Sunday morning with a tiny 0.4m NW swell, but still poor. The 7th of September shows some size: Monday morning has a 2.3m NNW swell, but the wind is a fresh cross-on from the NNW at 30 km/h, making it lumpy and messy. The combined energy is moderate (529), but it’s poor quality—too big for beginners at over 1.5m, and with short period (7 seconds) and cross-on wind, it’s a mess. Monday afternoon is a bit better with 2.1m and lighter cross-on, but still marginal.
Now, the standout: Tuesday morning, the 8th of September. Whakatane Heads (a beach and reef setup, advanced spot) gets a clean 1.4m swell from the north with a moderate 8-second period, and the wind is light offshore from the SSW at 10 km/h. That’s glassy, clean conditions. The combined energy is moderate (287), and the break is fairly consistent. The swell direction (N) matches the optimum (NNE) well. This is a rare clean window, but it’s advanced-level waves, and the 1.4m is manageable for experienced surfers. The water temp is 14°, which is about average for this time of year (anomaly -0.7°C).
After that, it fades. Tuesday afternoon turns cross-on, and the rest of the week is tiny swells and cross-shore winds. The 9th through the 12th of September is mostly poor, with the 12th having a 1.6m WNW swell with cross-off wind, but marginal. The 13th of September onward is tiny—0.2m to 0.3m with long periods (12-14 seconds) but no size, and combined energy is weak (21-44). The 16th of September brings a 1.6m NW swell with cross-shore wind, but marginal. The 18th of September morning has a clean 1.3m NNW swell with offshore SSW wind, but it’s ordinary.
The long-range around the 17th and 18th shows 1.8m-1.9m NW swells, but wind is cross or cross-on, keeping it messy. The 19th of September has a 1.9m WNW swell with onshore wind—a mess. The 20th is dead—0.1m. For beginners, avoid anything over 1.5m; for experts, the 7th of September morning is too big at 2.3m with poor conditions—kite surfers might like it, but not for paddling. The only real recommendation is the Tuesday morning, 8th of September session. The break can get crowds sometimes, so keep that in mind.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat afternoon, min 8°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 14°C on Tue afternoon, min 7°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
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 | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 4 | W 4 | NW 4 | NNW 3 | NNW 6 | NNW 7 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | N 8 | NNW 8 | N 8 | NNW 8 | NE 7 | NE 8 | NE 14 | NE 14 | NNW 6 | NW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 36 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 100 | 527 | 536 | 240 | 270 | 270 | 141 | 32 | 35 | 30 | 29 | 47 | 103 | 112 | 110 | 112 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | off | off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 1:04AM1.74m | 1:46PM1.72m | 2:04AM1.72m | 2:55PM1.75m | 3:10AM1.70m | 4:03PM1.80m | 4:17AM1.70m | 5:03PM1.86m | 5:20AM1.71m | 5:57PM1.90m | 6:18AM1.75m | 6:46PM1.90m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:12PM0.42m | 7:36AM0.32m | 8:16PM0.45m | 8:39AM0.34m | 9:22PM0.46m | 9:43AM0.33m | 10:25PM0.43m | 10:45AM0.30m | 11:27PM0.37m | 11:42AM0.28m | 00:24AM0.31m | 12:37PM0.26m | 1:17AM0.24m | |||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  |  | | | |  | |  | | | | | | |  | |
 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — |
 | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 7 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 13 |
Feels °C | 15 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 10 | NNW 5 | NW 4 | NE 9 | NE 10 | E 11 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | N 8 | NNW 8 | N 8 | NE 5 | NE 7 | NE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NNW 6 | NW 7 | NE 13 | NNE 12 |
| kJ | 4 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 536 | 240 | 270 | 270 | 141 | 24 | 35 | 30 | 27 | 18 | 103 | 112 | 28 | 14 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NE 10 | NE 10 | — | — | — | — | E 10 | NE 16 | NE 16 | NE 16 | NNW 8 | NNW 7 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NE 14 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NNE 12 | NE 16 |
| kJ | — | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 32 | 21 | 13 | 7 | 47 | 24 | 14 | 15 | 10 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 16 | N 19 | N 18 | — | NNE 7 | NE 8 | NE 4 | NE 14 | — | NE 12 | NE 12 | ENE 9 | NE 9 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 7 | 6 | — | 18 | 11 | 5 | 29 | — | 24 | 24 | 8 | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 4 | W 4 | — | NNW 3 | NNW 6 | NNW 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 4 | NW 4 | W 5 | SW 4 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 |
| kJ | 36 | 10 | — | 8 | 100 | 527 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 25 | 42 | 9 | 110 | 112 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 143 | 119 | 119 | 119 | 119 | 119 | 76 | 0 | 0 | 121 | 48 | 81 | 119 | 22 | 5 | 61 | 14 | 5 | 118 | 119 |
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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