Surf Forecasts:
Whangamata Bar surf forecast from 23 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 23 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 6s period, N swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 30 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 9s period, NE swell with 99 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 6s period with N swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Whangamata Bar this week:
The surf forecast for Whangamata Bar over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Whangamata Bar in the next 16 days are 0.8m 9s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 30) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 5s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Sun 30th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Whangamata Bar over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s be real here, folks. Rusty here, and I’ve looked over what we’ve got for the next couple of weeks. Honestly, it’s a pretty bleak stretch for Whangamata Bar. We’re staring down a long, long gap with basically nothing worth paddling out for, so don’t bother waxing up just yet.
We start off on Sunday the 23rd of August, and it’s a total non-starter. Swell is a pathetic 0.3 ft from the NE with a weak energy reading (10), and the wind is a messy cross-off. That sets the tone for the whole first week. We’ve got day after day of tiny, weak waves – we’re talking 0.3 ft to 1.0 ft mostly, with energy readings barely cracking double digits. The wind is often cross-off or offshore, which would be great if there was any swell to work with, but there just isn’t. The water temp is sitting at 58°, which is pretty much spot-on average for this time of year, so at least you won’t freeze while you’re sitting there waiting for a wave that never comes.
This flat spell just drags on and on. We finally see a tiny flicker of life on Saturday the 29th of August. The swell bumps up to a whole 2 ft from the NNE with energy hitting 86, and for a brief moment in the afternoon we get glassy conditions. The score says “surfable,” but let’s be honest, that’s a generous way to describe 2 ft waves. It’s better than nothing, but it’s hardly a standout.
Sunday the 30th offers more of the same – 2 ft from the NE with a period of 9 seconds, and offshore wind in the afternoon. It’s clean, but it’s small. The energy is moderate (56-71), but you’d have to be desperate for a splash.
Then it’s back to the doldrums. From Monday the 31st of August all the way through to Sunday the 7th of September, we’re stuck in a rut of 1 ft to 2 ft waves. The wind is often offshore or cross-off, keeping the surface clean, but the swell just doesn’t have any guts. Energy readings stay in the weak-to-low moderate range (20 to 96). There’s one brief moment on Friday the 4th of September where the swell bumps to 4 ft from the E, but it’s short-period (6 seconds) and messy, and the wind is cross-off. It’s still a “poor surf conditions” call.
The only time we see anything with a bit of grunt is on Saturday the 5th of September. The swell hits 4 ft from the ENE, and the energy pushes into the moderate range (114 to 120). That’s the biggest we get. But here’s the kicker – the period is a weak 6-7 seconds, and the wind is cross-off. For a beach/bar setup like Whangamata Bar, that short-period, wind-affected swell is going to be a mess. Honestly, with that kind of wind and those conditions, this setup might be more interesting for the kite crew than for a surfer on a paddle board.
So what’s the best on offer? I can’t in good conscience call anything a true standout. If you had to pick a window, the glassy Saturday 29th afternoon or the clean Sunday 30th afternoon are your best bets, but you’re surfing tiny waves. The swell on the 5th has the most size, but the quality is going to be poor.
To sum it up: we’ve got a massive gap of nothing for the first week, a couple of barely-surfable small days at the end of August, and then another long gap of tiny, weak surf into the first week of September. This is a tough one. It tends not to stay this poor forever, but right now, it’s a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun afternoon, min 8°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed afternoon, min 11°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NE 13 | NNW 6 | N 6 | N 6 | NE 12 | NE 11 | E 12 | E 12 | E 11 | N 13 | N 13 | N 12 | NE 10 | NE 9 | NE 10 | N 4 | N 5 | N 6 | NE 9 | NNE 7 | NE 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
7 | 50 | 30 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 22 | 30 | 15 | 47 | 53 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | glassy | off |
High Tide | 3:00PM1.50m | 3:14AM1.46m | 3:55PM1.51m | 4:08AM1.46m | 4:48PM1.55m | 5:00AM1.49m | 5:35PM1.60m | 5:49AM1.53m | 6:19PM1.66m | 6:34AM1.58m | 7:01PM1.72m | 7:18AM1.63m | 7:41PM1.77m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:06PM0.57m | 9:28AM0.45m | 10:02PM0.56m | 10:22AM0.43m | 10:57PM0.52m | 11:13AM0.39m | 11:47PM0.46m | 12:01PM0.34m | 00:34AM0.39m | 12:46PM0.29m | 1:18AM0.32m | 1:29PM0.25m | 1:59AM0.25m | ||||||||
6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | |
— | 5:47 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | |
mm | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 16 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 10 | 16 | 16 | 10 | 16 | 18 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 11 |
Feels °C | 9 | 11 | 7 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 7 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | E 12 | N 6 | N 6 | N 5 | NE 11 | NE 11 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 9 | N 4 | N 4 | NE 9 | N 6 | N 5 | NNE 7 | NE 9 |
3 | 3 | 30 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 30 | 15 | 47 | 53 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 13 | NE 13 | NE 10 | NE 12 | NE 12 | NE 9 | E 11 | E 12 | E 11 | NE 10 | N 13 | — | — | — | NE 10 | NE 10 | N 11 | NNE 9 | NE 9 | NE 10 | NE 6 |
7 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | 4 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 39 | 16 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 10 | E 12 | E 12 | — | — | E 12 | — | E 11 | N 13 | — | N 12 | E 10 | E 9 | NE 7 | — | — | N 12 | NNE 7 | — | N 6 |
— | 2 | 3 | 3 | — | — | 3 | — | 3 | 3 | — | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 3 | 4 | — | 20 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 5 | NNW 6 | WSW 3 | WSW 2 | — | WSW 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 4 | NNW 4 | NNW 5 | N 5 | — | — | — | — |
14 | 50 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 9 | 24 | 22 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 237 | 243 | 127 | 165 | 246 | 216 | 237 | 237 | 242 | 225 | 237 | 161 | 161 | 216 | 107 | 242 | 124 | 67 | 67 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in The Coromandel | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











