Whangamata Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 37.22° S 175.88° E

Whangamata Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 18 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Whangamata Beach sea temperature is
15.3° C
0.6° 

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


Whangamata Beach 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 Beach this week:

The most powerful waves expected at Whangamata Beach in the next 16 days are 0.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 9AM.

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 Beach over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it—this 16-day stretch for Whangamata Beach is a real flat spell, but there’s a glimmer of something special way out the back. We’ve got a long run of small, weak, and pretty ordinary conditions for the next couple of weeks, so don’t get your hopes up for any quick morning dash. The first real standout doesn’t show up until Tuesday the 1st of September, which means we’re looking at a good 13 or 14 days of mostly junk before things get interesting.

Right now, starting Tuesday the 18th of August, it’s tiny. Swell’s around 2 ft from the east with a 9-second period—weak energy (63). Wind’s light offshore from the southwest in the morning, so it’s clean, but there’s just no push. That theme carries through the rest of the week and into the next. Wednesday the 19th drops to 0.3 ft, Thursday the 20th is 1.0 ft, and the weekend barely flickers. By Saturday the 23rd, we get a brief pulse of 2 ft from the north with a short, fat 6-second period (energy at 44), but it’s messy with cross-offshore winds. Nothing worth paddling out for.

The whole second week stays stubbornly flat. From Monday the 24th through to the 28th, swell heights hang around 0.3 ft to 2 ft, mostly from the north-northwest with dud periods of 5 to 6 seconds. Winds bounce around from cross to cross-on, and there’s a bit of rain and chop thrown in. Saturday the 29th of August shows a faint pulse—4 ft from the east-northeast in the morning with a clean offshore from the southwest—but with a period of just 5 seconds, it’s gonna be weak and lumpy. The energy reading is only 86. Surfable, but barely worth the wetsuit peel.

Then, out of nowhere, Tuesday the 1st of September delivers. This is the one. Whangamata Beach wakes up to a solid 10 ft swell from the north with a 9-second period. Now, that’s proper size—too big for beginners for sure, and even intermediate crew will need their wits about ‘em. The water temp is 60°, which is right about average for this time of year, so nothing weird going on there. But the real story is the wind: glassy. Dead flat, no breeze, just clean, open faces. The combined energy reading hits 2251—that’s strong, powerful stuff. For experienced surfers, this is about as good as it gets around here. The swell direction is north, and the optimum for this break is northeast, so it’s not a perfect angle, but with that much juice and glassy conditions, the beach will have some proper, bowly peaks. It’s a standout, no question. Just be aware, it might be a bit too straight for a beach break with that period, but points and banks could hold.

After that, the surf drops back down fast. Tuesday afternoon sees 6 ft from the north-northeast with an onshore breeze and a shorter 8-second period—marginal. Wednesday the 2nd of September is similar, with 5 ft and cross-shore winds. Still some size, but the magic’s gone.

So, bottom line: don’t waste your time for the next two weeks. Mark your calendar for Tuesday the 1st of September. That’s the day. Glassy, 10 ft, and all for the experienced crew. As for the rest… well, it’s a good time to wax your board and wait.

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)
0
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
0.1
E
10
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
0.4
NW
5
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
4
7
16
13
12
30
7
7
7
2
8
8
34
31
8
5
5
5
Wind (km/h)
10
SW
15
SW
20
SW
20
SSW
10
SSE
10
SSW
10
WSW
15
SSW
10
WSW
10
W
15
W
10
W
10
WNW
20
W
20
WNW
25
WNW
15
WNW
15
WSW
15
WSW
15
W
10
W
Wind State
off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-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
6:56
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)
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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.

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