Surf Forecasts:
Whangamata Bar surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s period, E swell with 39 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Whangamata Bar this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Whangamata Bar in the next 16 days are 0.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Whangamata Bar over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Alright, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it – the Whangamata Bar is looking pretty grim for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a massive dry spell before the ocean finally wakes up, and even then, the conditions will have you cursing the wind gods.
From the 19th of August all the way through to the morning of the 28th, there’s nothing worth paddling for. Tiny swell, mostly under 2 ft, with poor wind and no quality. You’d be better off staying on the beach.
Things start stirring on the 28th Friday afternoon. Swell hits about 3 ft from the north, but it’s short-period junk at 6 seconds. Combined energy is 63 – still weak. Wind is cross-offshore from the NNW at 19 mph, so it’ll look clean, but those waves will lack any punch or shape. Not the one.
The 30th, Sunday, offers a little more: 2 ft from the NE at 10 seconds, with combined energy at 118 (moderate). Winds are light cross-shore from the SSE at 9 mph, leaving a bump on the surface. It’s a step up, but nothing special.
The one standout – and I mean the only one – is the morning of 1st September. Swell builds to 5 ft from the NE at 9 seconds, and combined energy jumps to 578 (strong). That’s proper grunt for the Bar. Winds are cross from the SSE at 16 mph, so it’s bumpy and sideways, but there’s wave power to play with. It’s an intermediate-level session at best – raw and lumpy. The afternoon drops slightly to 4 ft but the wind picks up to 19 mph, getting messy quick.
The 3rd September Thursday has 5 ft from the ENE with a short 7-second period and cross-off wind from the SSW at 9 mph. Clean but gutless.
So bottom line: mark your calendar for the morning of September 1st if you’re desperate – it’s the biggest swell and strongest energy in the whole window. But it’s not gonna be pretty. Everything else is either tiny, weak, or too wind-affected.
This is Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu afternoon, min 7°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Mon afternoon, min 10°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | ||||||||||||||
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) | E 10 | ESE 5 | E 8 | E 8 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 10 | NE 14 | NE 14 | NE 13 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | N 6 | NE 12 | E 11 | NE 11 | E 12 | E 12 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 8 | 20 | 37 | 12 | 35 | 17 | 16 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 24 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off |
High Tide | 11:49PM1.68m | 12:22PM1.62m | 00:36AM1.59m | 1:12PM1.56m | 1:26AM1.52m | 2:05PM1.52m | 2:19AM1.47m | 3:00PM1.50m | 3:14AM1.46m | 3:55PM1.51m | 4:08AM1.46m | 4:48PM1.55m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:07AM0.28m | 6:30PM0.42m | 6:53AM0.35m | 7:19PM0.49m | 7:42AM0.41m | 8:11PM0.55m | 8:34AM0.45m | 9:06PM0.57m | 9:28AM0.45m | 10:02PM0.56m | 10:22AM0.43m | 10:57PM0.52m | ||||||||
 |  | | | |  | |  |  | | | |  | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — |
 | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 11 | 16 | 17 | 14 |
Feels °C | 8 | 5 | 9 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 14 | 14 | 9 | 14 | 14 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | ESE 5 | E 8 | E 6 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 8 | NNW 4 | E 13 | E 12 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | N 6 | N 5 | — | NE 11 | NE 10 | NE 10 |
| kJ | 7 | 20 | 37 | 6 | 35 | 17 | 16 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 24 | 10 | 6 | 2 | — | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 9 | E 12 | E 8 | — | — | — | E 9 | E 10 | E 7 | NE 14 | NE 13 | E 12 | NE 10 | NE 11 | NE 12 | E 11 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 6 | 3 | 12 | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 12 | — | E 12 | E 7 | — | N 9 | — | E 9 | NE 14 | E 11 | NE 10 | NE 13 | E 12 | E 12 | E 11 | NE 11 | E 10 | E 12 | E 12 |
| kJ | — | 3 | — | 3 | 1 | — | 2 | — | 2 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 5 | SSE 4 | — | — | — | SW 3 | — | — | — | — | NW 5 | NNW 5 | NW 6 | — | WSW 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 8 | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 14 | 72 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 109 | 23 | 6 | 109 | 125 | 109 | 113 | 113 | 195 | 237 | 237 | 237 | 243 | 132 | 197 | 237 | 161 | 237 | 237 | 237 |
Best forecast wave conditions in The Coromandel | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Whangamata Bar 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.
Information about the Whangamata Bar Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Whangamata Bar provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Whangamata Bar can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Whangamata Bar 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 (Whangamata Bar) 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 Whangamata Bar 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.
Whangamata Bar is 59 km (37 miles) from the city of Tauranga. If you plan a holiday in The Coromandel, look for hotels and other accommodation in Tauranga. Tauranga has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
Nearest