Whangamata Bar Surf Break

Lat Long: 37.20° S 175.89° E

Whangamata Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 pm 12 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Whangamata Bar sea temperature is
14.7° C
0.0° 

Whangamata Bar surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Whangamata Bar surf forecast from 12 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 15 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 8s period, ENE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 13 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 7s period, NE swell with 373 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 13 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 7s period with NE 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 Thursday (Aug 13) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 16s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Whangamata Bar in the next 16 days are 2.0m 7s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 13) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 3s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 16) at 6AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6PM (Thu 13th Aug)5ft (1.6m) 7s
Best Surf 3AM (Sat 15th Aug)5.5ft (1.7m) 8s
Most Powerful12PM (Thu 13th Aug)6.5ft (2.0m) 7s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Whangamata Bar over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Right, mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the stretch around Whangamata Bar.

The next 16 days are a bit of a mixed bag with a long, slow start. We’ve got a waiting game on our hands. The first real chance for anything decent doesn’t show up until Saturday the 15th.

So, from now until Friday the 14th, it’s pretty grim. The swell is small and short-period, with a bit of a cross-shore chop on the wind. The water temp is about what you’d expect for this time of year, nothing wild. Honestly, the first few days aren’t even worth paddling out for.

Saturday the 15th is where it starts to get interesting. The morning is looking clean with a light cross-offshore breeze from the SSW. We’re looking at a 5 ft swell from the east with a period of 8 seconds. The combined swell energy is moderate (305). It’s not a monster, but with the wind cleaning it up, those banks at Whangamata Bar should be offering up some fun, workable waves. The afternoon stays clean with SW winds, even if the swell drops a fraction. This is a solid option for the weekend.

Sunday the 16th morning still has some clean surf with a 4 ft swell from the east and a light cross-off breeze, but it’s a bit ordinary. The wind picks up hard out of the south in the afternoon, chopping it up. That’s the end of the first run.

Then we hit a flat spell. From Monday the 17th right through to Wednesday the 27th of August, the swell is tiny. Most days have less than 2 ft of swell. It’s clean, sure, but there’s just no energy. The combined energy figures are in the single digits or low tens. It’s a proper drought.

The standout, and I mean the real standout, is Thursday the 27th of August. This is over a week away, so lock it in with a bit of caution. The morning shows a solid 10 ft swell from the NNE, but the wind is cross-offshore. The real magic is the Thursday afternoon. We get a 12 ft swell from the NE with a 9-second period and a clean offshore wind from the WNW. The combined wave energy is a massive 2065. That’s serious power. This is a big, powerful groundswell that will be freight-training down the Bar. Because of the long period and size, it’s going to be a heavy, expert-only affair. The paddle out might be easier with the gaps between sets, but this is not for beginners. It’s a big, clean, powerful day for the experienced crew.

Friday the 28th of August still has a leftover 5 ft swell from the NE with a clean offshore wind, offering a decent follow-up session, but with a lot less energy (491).

In short, the next week is a write-off. Don’t bother. Saturday the 15th is your immediate, small but clean option. For the real heavy-hitter, pencil in the 27th of August. That’s the one that’s got me excited.

- Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 59mm), heaviest during Wed night. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat afternoon, min 12°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Tue afternoon, min 3°C on Mon night). Mainly fresh winds.

Thursday
13
Friday
14
Saturday
15
Sunday
16
Monday
17
Tuesday
18
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
1
1
0
0
1
2
2
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.9
NE
7
1.8
NE
7
1.7
NE
7
1.3
NE
7
1.4
NE
7
1.4
ENE
8
1.5
ENE
8
1.5
E
8
1.4
ENE
8
1.4
ENE
9
1.3
ENE
8
1.1
E
8
0.8
E
8
0.5
E
8
0.4
E
8
0.5
E
10
0.4
E
9
0.3
E
10
0.2
E
9
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
375
313
269
164
193
213
250
301
244
311
252
177
86
35
22
45
27
16
7
Wind (km/h)
25
ENE
15
NNE
5
NE
5
SSW
10
S
15
SE
10
SSW
10
SSW
15
SW
15
WSW
10
SSW
25
S
25
S
20
SW
20
SW
15
SW
10
WSW
15
SSW
10
WSW
Wind State
on
cross-on
cross-on
glassy
cross
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
6:31AM1.80m
7:05PM1.96m
7:27AM1.83m
7:56PM1.98m
8:19AM1.85m
8:45PM1.97m
9:10AM1.84m
9:32PM1.93m
9:59AM1.80m
10:18PM1.86m
10:46AM1.75m
11:03PM1.77m
Low Tide
00:29AM0.19m
12:48PM0.06m
1:25AM0.12m
1:41PM0.04m
2:17AM0.08m
2:32PM0.05m
3:06AM0.06m
3:21PM0.09m
3:52AM0.08m
4:09PM0.16m
4:38AM0.13m
4:56PM0.24m
heavy rain
rain showers
thunderstorm
rain showers
light rain
light rain
rain showers
part cloud
rain showers
part cloud
light rain
cloud
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:03
7:01
7:00
6:58
6:58
6:56
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:38
5:39
5:40
5:42
5:43
5:44
 mm
40
11
1
1
1
3
1
1
1
1
Temp °C
14
16
16
14
16
16
13
16
17
13
12
10
8
9
12
7
12
14
9
Feels °C
11
15
16
14
15
14
11
15
14
11
10
4
1
3
5
1
8
9
5
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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