Surf Forecasts:
Whangamata Beach surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 7s period, NNE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 30 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 8s period, NNE swell with 250 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 29 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 7s period with NNE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Whangamata Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Whangamata Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Whangamata Beach in the next 16 days are 1.4m 8s 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 0.7m 3s period and expected on Monday (Aug 31) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 3PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Sun 30th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Whangamata Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Righto, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for the Whangamata Beach stretch over the next couple of weeks.
Straight up, I’ve gotta be honest with ya—this is a grim run of swell. We’re looking at a real dry spell here. The first decent bump that even gets a score doesn’t show up until Saturday morning, the 30th of August, and even then it’s only scoring a 1 out of 10. So there’s a bit of a wait. From now until that point, the wave energy is weak as, with combined energy values sitting between 35 and 54, and the swell is small, short-period junk mostly from the north. The wind is messy too—cross or cross-on—so you’re better off savin’ the gas.
Now, Saturday the 30th and Sunday the 31st are the only windows worth paddlin’ out in the whole 16-day outlook. They’re not world-class by any stretch, but when the pickin’s this thin, you take what you can get. On Saturday the 30th, the morning starts with a WSW offshore wind blowing at 19 mph, and the swell ticks up a little, with combined energy hitting 197. Swell is 4 ft from the NNE with a period of 8 seconds. It’s clean waves, but the energy is still pretty ordinary. By the afternoon, the wind stays offshore, and the swell shifts to the NE at 4 ft, with energy climbing to 243. The waves will be clean and lined up for the beach break, but keep your expectations in check—it’s not gonna be firing.
That Sunday the 31st, morning session looks best of the whole lot. Swell drops back to 3 ft from the NE, but the period stretches out to 9 seconds, and you’ve got that steady SW offshore wind at 16 mph. Combined energy is only 99, so it’s mellow, but clean and surfable for a beginner or someone keen for a longboard glide. The water temp is sitting at 58°, which is about average for this time of year—nothing weird there, just your standard chilly spring water.
After that, it’s back to the doldrums. From Monday the 31st afternoon all the way through to late on the 8th of September, everything is either tiny, short period, or blown out. There’s a bit of a spike on the 8th of September with a 7 ft north swell rolling in, but the wind is a fresh cross-shore at 19 mph, which means lumpy, chop-topped mess. Combined energy hits a massive 833, suggesting plenty of power, but with that wind and short 8-second period, it’s going to be a washing machine. Honestly, that setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing—too much wind and swell for the average punter to get a clean ride.
On the 9th of September, Wednesday morning, the wind swings offshore (WSW 12 mph) and the swell sits at 4 ft from the north with 8 seconds, but combined energy is 202. It’s clean but still pretty average in quality—surfable but nothing to write home about. After that, the 10th of September sees the swell absolutely vanish to 0.7 ft, and it stays tiny right through to the end of the forecast on the 12th of September.
The standout window? Honestly, there’s only one true highlight in this whole stretch: Sunday the 31st of August morning at Whangamata Beach. It’s small, yes, but it’s clean with offshore wind, and that’s your best shot this side of the month. For a beginner, those 3 ft NE swell waves with a 9-second period and glassy offshore wind are perfect. Even if you’re more experienced, it’s the only time the stars line up for a proper clean session. The crowd factor is listed as “sometimes,” so you might share it with a few locals, but it won’t be a circus.
After that, the 9th of September morning is your second look—bigger at 4 ft, also offshore, but the period is shorter, so the waves will be a bit more disorganised. That one is more for the intermediates willing to work for it.
So in short: wait until the 31st of August, get in the water early Sunday morning, and make the most of it. After that, keep your board in the car and your eyes on the forecast—things might change.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun morning, min 10°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat afternoon, fresh winds from the WSW by Sun afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Mon morning, min 8°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ENE 5 | N 5 | N 5 | N 6 | NNE 7 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 9 | NNE 8 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 8 | NE 10 | NE 11 | NE 11 | NE 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
32 | 23 | 29 | 109 | 121 | 237 | 197 | 201 | 118 | 95 | 46 | 55 | 55 | 43 | 30 | 20 | 18 | 23 | 29 | 29 | 27 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | glassy | off | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:01PM1.72m | 7:18AM1.63m | 7:41PM1.77m | 8:00AM1.68m | 8:20PM1.80m | 8:42AM1.72m | 9:00PM1.82m | 9:25AM1.75m | 9:42PM1.82m | 10:10AM1.76m | 10:26PM1.80m | 10:57AM1.76m | 11:14PM1.76m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:46PM0.29m | 1:18AM0.32m | 1:29PM0.25m | 1:59AM0.25m | 2:12PM0.23m | 2:40AM0.20m | 2:54PM0.22m | 3:21AM0.16m | 3:37PM0.22m | 4:04AM0.15m | 4:23PM0.24m | 4:48AM0.15m | 5:11PM0.27m | ||||||||
6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | |
— | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 5 | 16 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 17 | 18 | 12 |
Feels °C | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 14 | 15 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | E 4 | NNE 6 | NNE 7 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 9 | NNE 8 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 8 | NE 10 | NE 11 | NE 11 | NE 10 |
32 | 7 | 3 | 60 | 121 | 237 | 197 | 201 | 118 | 95 | 46 | 55 | 55 | 43 | 30 | 20 | 18 | 23 | 29 | 29 | 27 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 10 | NE 9 | NE 9 | — | E 6 | — | — | N 8 | NNW 7 | — | ENE 9 | — | NW 6 | — | WNW 3 | E 5 | E 4 | — | — | NW 5 | NNW 5 |
4 | 3 | 3 | — | 2 | — | — | 42 | 5 | — | 8 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 1 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 11 | N 11 | N 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 7 | NNE 10 | — | N 6 | N 6 | NW 5 | N 11 | NE 11 | — | N 7 | N 11 | N 10 |
2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 20 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 4 | N 5 | N 5 | N 6 | — | — | SW 3 | WSW 3 | WSW 3 | WSW 3 | WSW 3 | W 3 | W 3 | WSW 3 | WSW 3 | — | — | WNW 2 | — | — | W 3 |
16 | 23 | 29 | 109 | — | — | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 241 | 241 | 123 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 77 | 154 | 154 | 0 | 2 | 154 | 154 | 55 | 154 | 234 | 238 | 132 | 217 | 238 | 217 |
Best forecast wave conditions in The Coromandel | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Whangamata Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Whangamata Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Whangamata Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Whangamata Beach 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 Beach) 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 Beach 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 Beach is 58 km (36 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.











