Whangamata Estuary Surf Break

Lat Long: 37.23° S 175.89° E

Whangamata Estuary Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 am 12 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Whangamata Estuary sea temperature is
15.3° C
0.1° 

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


Whangamata Estuary surf forecast from 11 Jul 2026:

  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 6s period, ESE swell with 90 kJ wave energy.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Whangamata Estuary this week:

The most powerful waves expected at Whangamata Estuary in the next 16 days are 1.2m 6s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 3PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)--
Best Surf--
Most Powerful12AM (Sun 19th Jul)4ft (1.2m) 6s

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


Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's in store for us.

First up, the situation at Whangamata Estuary. The water temp is sitting around 60°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, nothing unusual there.

Honestly, the next week and a half is a write-off. From Sunday the 12th right through to Monday the 20th, there's zero surf worth paddling out for. We're talking tiny, weak lumps with poor energy (as low as 20) and messy winds. A couple of those mornings will be glassy, but with waves barely reaching 1ft to 2ft, it’s just not enough to ride. You'd be better off checking your wax collection.

Then, things get heavy. On Tuesday the 21st, the swell jumps to 7ft with a massive 502 energy reading, but with a near gale (31 mph) from the ESE and heavy rain on the way, it’s a mess. That afternoon it pushes 10ft and 1193 energy, with strong cross-shore chop. Don’t even think about it.

Wednesday the 22nd sees the swell go nuclear. The morning hits 18ft with an energy of 6980, and the afternoon 20ft with a staggering 10320. Even with a light S wind making it glassy in the arvo, the memo from the ocean is clear: this is way too big for this break. Even if the wind is kind, you're not surfing here unless you've got a death wish. This is kite-surf territory if anything.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting for the real surfers. Thursday the 23rd of July is the standout. The morning brings a 15ft easterly groundswell (period 12 seconds) with a WSW cross-offshore breeze at 6 mph. The combined energy is through the roof at 10677—that's very strong wave energy. The comment says exceptional conditions for expert surfers, and I believe it. This is a serious, powerful swell with clean, offshore lines. This is the pick of the entire outlook, but you better be experienced. That afternoon stays clean but the energy drops slightly to 6016. The swell direction (ENE) is a good match for the break's optimum.

Friday the 24th is still pumping in the morning with a 13ft swell (6850 energy), but the wind is a cross-on from the SSE, so it won't be as clean. The afternoon on Friday the 24th, however, is a gem. The swell drops to 10ft but it goes glassy—dead calm—with 2484 energy. That’s still a solid, long-period groundswell (11 seconds) and perfect conditions. It’s still big for beginners, but for experts, that’s a beautiful session.

Into Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th, the swell drops to a more manageable 7ft to 5ft range, with clean offshore to glassy winds. The energy is still moderate to strong (up to 1136). These are very good, surfable days for a broader range of surfers, but the real magic was Thursday and Friday. Be aware that crowds are possible here, so get in early.

For the second week, the swell fades further from Monday the 27th onward, dropping under 3ft with only ordinary conditions. It'll be a slow finish.

So, to sum it up: ignore the first ten days. Thursday the 23rd morning is the day for experts, with Friday the 24th afternoon a close second for clean, big waves. Saturday and Sunday are solid but smaller. Don't sleep on that Thursday session.

Stay safe out there.
- Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue afternoon, min 9°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Wed afternoon, min 11°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Sunday
12
Monday
13
Tuesday
14
Wednesday
15
Thursday
16
Friday
17
Saturday
18
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
9
0.4
E
9
0.3
E
9
0.3
E
9
0.2
E
10
0.7
N
5
0.7
N
5
0.7
N
6
0.5
N
5
0.2
E
11
0.2
E
11
0.2
E
13
0.2
E
12
0.3
E
13
0.2
E
17
0.3
ESE
17
0.3
ESE
16
0.3
ESE
14
0.3
ESE
14
1.2
ESE
6
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
61
41
25
13
14
8
24
24
31
14
9
9
13
12
30
23
59
53
40
37
90
Wind (km/h)
5
SSE
5
E
0
NW
5
NE
15
N
15
NNW
10
NNW
10
NW
5
WSW
5
W
5
NNW
5
W
5
SW
5
NNW
5
WSW
10
WSW
15
WSW
15
W
10
SW
30
SE
25
SE
Wind State
cross
glassy
glassy
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
glassy
glassy
off
glassy
glassy
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
High Tide
4:28PM1.78m
4:45AM1.77m
5:28PM1.86m
5:46AM1.81m
6:27PM1.94m
6:45AM1.85m
7:23PM1.99m
7:42AM1.87m
8:17PM2.02m
8:37AM1.86m
9:09PM2.02m
9:31AM1.84m
10:00PM1.98m
Low Tide
10:06AM0.15m
10:40PM0.30m
11:07AM0.10m
11:43PM0.24m
12:06PM0.05m
00:43AM0.18m
1:04PM0.01m
1:41AM0.12m
1:59PM-0.01m
2:37AM0.08m
2:53PM-0.00m
3:30AM0.07m
3:45PM0.04m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
rain showers
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:28
7:28
7:28
7:26
7:26
7:26
7:26
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:15
5:15
5:15
5:16
5:17
5:17
5:19
 mm
1
1
Temp °C
11
12
9
14
14
13
15
16
13
14
16
13
15
15
13
13
14
11
14
13
9
Feels °C
9
10
8
11
11
9
14
15
12
14
16
12
15
14
12
11
11
8
11
7
2
  • 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
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Whangamata Estuary:

join our community of surf reporters

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 locationNearest