Whangamata Bar Surf Break

Lat Long: 37.20° S 175.89° E

Whangamata Bar Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 18 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Whangamata Bar sea temperature is
15.4° C
0.7° 

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 18 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 0.8m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 6AM.

Wave TypeTime (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

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cookin' for the local stretch.

Well, I gotta be straight with ya – the next couple of weeks are looking pretty bleak for a proper paddle. We’ve got a long dry spell on our hands. From now until the end of August, it’s a whole lot of nothing. Tiny waves, weak energy, and just generally poor surf. There's basically a 13-day gap with no decent recommendations. It’s one of those stretches where the ocean just seems to be taking a nap. You’d be better off finding something else to do than staring at the horizon.

Now, hold onto your board, because things finally look like they might turn around right at the end of the forecast period. We're talking about the first of September, which is a solid week and a half away, so take it with a pinch of salt, but the models are showing something promising.

The standout is Whangamata Bar. On the morning of the 1st of September, we could be looking at some serious muscle. The forecast is for a 10ft swell from the north, and the energy reading is through the roof – that's some proper grunt. To top it off, it’s looking glassy with light easterly breezes, which is about as good as it gets for clean conditions. That’s a big, powerful groundswell (9 second period), and for a spot like this bar, that could be pumping out some memorable waves. Now, at that size, this is strictly for experienced surfers only. Beginners, stay on the beach for this one. It’s the only real standout in the whole outlook, so if you can wait, it might just be worth it.

The following days look like the swell eases off a bit, but there might be some ok waves on offer. The crowd situation at Whangamata Bar can get pretty full-on when it’s good, so be prepared for a packed line-up.

Alright, that's the gist of it. A long wait for what could be a beauty of a day.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu afternoon, min 6°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Some drizzle, heaviest during Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat morning, min 10°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Tuesday
18
Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
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)
0.6
E
9
0.5
E
10
0.3
E
9
0.5
S
5
0.2
E
10
0.3
ESE
9
0.3
E
9
0.3
E
8
0.4
E
10
0.2
E
10
0.2
E
9
0.2
E
10
0.1
E
9
0.1
NE
14
0.1
NE
14
0.7
N
6
0.6
N
6
0.3
NNW
6
0.2
N
6
0.1
NE
12
0.1
NE
11
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
61
44
14
10
7
16
13
12
30
7
7
7
2
8
8
34
31
8
5
5
5
Wind (km/h)
10
SW
20
SW
20
SW
20
SSW
10
SSE
10
SSW
10
WSW
10
SW
15
WSW
10
W
15
W
10
W
10
WNW
20
W
20
WNW
25
WNW
15
WNW
20
WSW
15
WSW
15
W
15
W
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
off
off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
off
off
off
High Tide
10:46AM1.75m
11:03PM1.77m
11:34AM1.69m
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
Low Tide
4:56PM0.24m
5:22AM0.20m
5:42PM0.33m
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
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:56
6:54
6:54
6:52
6:52
6:50
6:48
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:44
5:44
5:45
5:45
5:46
5:47
5:47
 mm
1
Temp °C
12
13
9
10
13
9
13
14
10
13
14
12
16
16
13
14
15
12
16
18
12
Feels °C
8
8
3
4
8
5
10
10
7
9
10
10
12
12
8
10
13
9
13
14
10
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
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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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