Surf Forecasts:
Whangamata Estuary surf forecast from 22 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 7s period, NNW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 7s period, NNW swell with 270 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 25 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 7s period with NNW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Whangamata Estuary this week:
The surf forecast for Whangamata Estuary over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 7s. Another secondary swell of 0.8m and 12s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Whangamata Estuary in the next 16 days are 1.7m 7s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) 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 1.0m 6s period and expected on Friday (Jul 24) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Sat 25th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Whangamata Estuary over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the Whangamata Estuary. It's a beach/bar set-up that's fairly exposed, and it likes an ENE swell, but we're in for a long, slow start.
Truth is, there's next to nothing happening for the first two weeks. The water temp is sitting right on average for the time of year at 59°, so no surprises there. But from now until the 5th of August, the surf is basically a write-off. We're talking days of flat, weak energy with combined swell readings barely getting into double digits – the highest in that stretch is a paltry 274 on the 25th of July, and that's still only 3ft of messy, short-period stuff. The wind will be clean for a lot of it, but you can't ride what isn't there. It's a proper drought.
We finally get a pulse of life on Wednesday, August 5th. The morning shows a sudden jump to 5ft of swell from the north, with a combined energy of 194 (moderate). It's a short period of 6 seconds, so it won't be the best shape, but it's glassy. That's something. By the afternoon, it's pushing 7ft from the NNE with a period of 8 seconds and a combined energy of 554 (strong). That's solid, but at that size, it's really only for the experienced crew. It's a bit of a raw, bumpy energy.
The standout, and the only real window of quality, is Thursday, August 6th. Both the morning and afternoon sessions are glassy, with a light cross-shore wind. The swell drops back to a more manageable 5ft in the morning (energy 302) and 4ft in the afternoon (energy 269), still from the NNE. It's a short-period swell, but with clean conditions and that size, it’s the best on offer. It’s what you’ve been waiting for.
So, to sum it up: a long, flat gap for nearly two weeks, then a brief window of reasonable, clean surf on the 5th and 6th of August. The 6th is your best bet for a decent, uncrowded paddle. Keep your eye on it, but don't hold your breath for the first fortnight.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri afternoon, min 9°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu afternoon, fresh winds from the W by Fri night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 11°C on Sat morning, min 4°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Sat morning, calm by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | |||||||||||||||
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 4 | E 10 | E 10 | E 5 | E 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | E 10 | N 7 | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | E 11 | E 12 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 17 | 47 | 146 | 169 | 116 | 57 | 56 | 60 | 44 | 63 | 61 | 61 | 66 | 39 | 37 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:01PM1.62m | 1:16AM1.63m | 1:54PM1.57m | 2:06AM1.56m | 2:47PM1.54m | 2:58AM1.52m | 3:39PM1.53m | 3:50AM1.50m | 4:31PM1.54m | 4:41AM1.50m | 5:20PM1.57m | 5:30AM1.52m | 6:07PM1.61m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:06PM0.40m | 7:35AM0.32m | 7:57PM0.47m | 8:24AM0.37m | 8:50PM0.52m | 9:14AM0.41m | 9:43PM0.55m | 10:05AM0.42m | 10:36PM0.54m | 10:56AM0.40m | 11:28PM0.52m | 11:45AM0.37m | 00:17AM0.48m | ||||||||
 | |  | | |  | |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — |
 | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:25 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 7 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 13 | 14 | 11 |
Feels °C | 10 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 4 | ENE 4 | ENE 4 | E 5 | E 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | E 10 | E 12 | N 8 | E 11 | E 11 | NNW 6 | SE 4 | E 5 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 |
| kJ | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 17 | 47 | 146 | 105 | 116 | 57 | 22 | 10 | 12 | 63 | 61 | 61 | 66 | 39 | 37 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 11 | N 7 | N 6 | E 3 | E 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | ENE 12 | E 12 | N 8 | N 8 | E 10 | N 8 | E 12 | E 4 | — | E 18 | — | — | E 10 |
| kJ | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 50 | 169 | 19 | 5 | 56 | 30 | 44 | 2 | — | 6 | — | — | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | E 10 | E 10 | N 8 | N 7 | E 11 | E 12 | — | — | — | — | S 5 | E 15 | E 11 | N 8 | N 7 | N 6 | — | N 6 | — | — |
| kJ | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 4 | 60 | 5 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 2 | N 4 | N 7 | W 3 | W 4 | WSW 3 | SSW 2 | SE 5 | — | SW 3 | SW 2 | WSW 3 | WSW 2 | SW 3 | WSW 3 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 8 | 124 | 8 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 25 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 197 | 236 | 114 | 106 | 239 | 236 | 197 | 236 | 142 | 236 | 242 | 4 | 51 | 59 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 26 | 9 |
Best forecast wave conditions in The Coromandel | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Whangamata Estuary surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
Information about the Whangamata Estuary Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Whangamata Estuary provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Whangamata Estuary can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Whangamata Estuary 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 Estuary) 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 Estuary 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 Estuary is 56 km (35 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.
Nearest