Whangamata Bar Surf Break

Lat Long: 37.20° S 175.89° E

Whangamata Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 pm 09 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Whangamata Bar sea temperature is
14.5° C
0.3° 

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 9 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 10 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 8s period, N swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 14 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 7s period, NE swell with 340 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 10 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 8s 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 Monday (Aug 10) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Whangamata Bar in the next 16 days are 1.8m 7s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 14) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Monday (Aug 10) at 9AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 3AM (Mon 10th Aug)5ft (1.5m) 8s
Best Surf 3AM (Mon 10th Aug)5ft (1.5m) 8s
Most Powerful 9AM (Fri 14th Aug)6ft (1.8m) 7s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on offer at Whangamata Bar. I’ve gotta be straight with you – the first week and a half is a tough watch. We’re looking at a real dry spell before things finally show a pulse towards the end of the run.

Right now, it’s a quiet start. The first hints of anything surfable show up on Monday morning, the 10th of August, but it’s ordinary – a small 4ft swell out of the NNE with a short period of 8 seconds and just moderate wave energy (214). The wind is cross-off, so it’s not completely blown out, but the quality is nothing to write home about. Tuesday the 11th morning is actually glassy with the wind swinging SW, but the swell is tiny at 3ft and energy is weak (85). That afternoon, the wind flips onshore and it’s messy again.

After that, we hit a proper dead zone. From Wednesday the 12th right through to Friday the 21st of August, it’s nearly all poor surf conditions. We see some bumps in swell size – like Thursday the 13th morning with 6ft from the NE but crap wind, and the energy jumps (464) – but it’s cross-onshore or onshore the whole time. That’s beach-break territory so it’s going to be a choppy, wind-affected mess. Honestly, that setup looks way more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing for most of that stretch.

Finally, there’s a flicker of life on Saturday the 15th afternoon. The wind cleans up to offshore from the west, a 5ft ENE groundswell with a 9-second period, and moderate energy (356). The forecast says “expect good surf conditions,” and that’s the standout of the whole outlook. Whangamata Bar can handle that direction, and with clean offshore wind, it’ll be the best session of the run. It’s an inconsistent break by nature, so when it lines up like this, you want to be in the water. Crowds are possible here, so get in early.

Sunday the 16th also holds some decent leftover swell with offshore and cross-off winds, but the energy drops off after that. The surf totally fades by Monday the 18th, with tiny waves and weak energy, and it stays flat or marginal right through to the end of the 16-day window. Even though it’s glassy on the 21st, the swell is weak and short period, so you’re not missing much.

Water temp is around 58° for the start, which is basically average for this time of year, so no drama there.

So, to sum it up: sit tight through the first week of crud, save your energy for Saturday the 15th and maybe the 16th. That’s your window. The rest is a long stretch of flatness and mess. It won’t stay poor forever, but this run is a test of patience.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon afternoon, min 9°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 67mm), heaviest during Fri night. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri morning, min 13°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Monday
10
Tuesday
11
Wednesday
12
Thursday
13
Friday
14
Saturday
15
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.2
N
7
1.3
NNE
8
1.1
NNE
8
0.9
NNE
8
0.9
NNE
8
0.9
NNE
8
1.1
NNE
9
0.9
NNE
8
1.1
NNE
8
1.1
NNE
8
1.4
NE
7
1.6
NE
6
1.6
NE
6
1.8
NE
7
1.6
NE
7
1.1
NE
7
1.1
NE
8
1.1
NE
8
0.8
E
9
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
155
235
167
104
102
107
181
116
157
145
198
213
195
340
219
111
133
128
97
Wind (km/h)
5
SE
5
WSW
10
W
10
W
5
SSW
5
ESE
20
NE
20
ENE
15
NE
15
NE
20
ENE
20
ENE
25
ENE
15
ENE
10
ENE
10
NE
10
NNE
10
ESE
15
W
Wind State
glassy
off
off
off
glassy
on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
off
High Tide
3:27AM1.70m
4:11PM1.77m
4:31AM1.72m
5:13PM1.84m
5:33AM1.76m
6:11PM1.90m
6:31AM1.80m
7:05PM1.96m
7:27AM1.83m
7:56PM1.98m
8:19AM1.85m
8:45PM1.97m
Low Tide
9:20PM0.36m
9:48AM0.19m
10:25PM0.32m
10:51AM0.15m
11:29PM0.26m
11:51AM0.10m
00:29AM0.19m
12:48PM0.06m
1:25AM0.12m
1:41PM0.04m
2:17AM0.08m
2:32PM0.05m
rain showers
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
light rain
light rain
heavy rain
light rain
light rain
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:05
7:05
7:03
7:03
7:01
7:00
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:37
5:37
5:38
5:38
5:39
5:40
 mm
8
3
3
31
3
5
22
Temp °C
12
14
16
10
12
12
13
14
14
13
14
14
14
15
14
14
15
15
13
Feels °C
10
12
13
8
10
10
9
10
11
10
12
11
11
14
13
11
14
13
11
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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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