
Surf Forecasts:
Whangamata Estuary surf forecast from 10 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 17 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 9s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 13 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 7s period, NE swell with 316 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 11 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 8s period with NNE 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 Tuesday (Aug 11) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Whangamata Estuary in the next 16 days are 1.8m 7s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 13) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 11) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Tue 11th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Mon 17th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Whangamata Estuary over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s talk about the surf outlook for the Whangamata Estuary region. To be straight with you, the next 16 days are looking pretty average for this spot. There aren’t any standout waves to get excited about, and the best we’ve got is just a few windows of “surfable” conditions. The swell is inconsistent and mostly small, but there are a couple of windows where the conditions line up about as well as they can around here.
Alright, let’s start with the first bit of action. On the morning of Monday, August 10th, the Estuary is seeing a 4ft swell from the NNE with a period of 8 seconds. The wind is light offshore from the W at 6 mph, cleaning the waves up. The combined wave energy is weak (172). It’s surfable but very ordinary. Water temperature sits at 59°F, which is about normal for this time of year. The break is a beach/bar setup, so it’s no point break, but the offshore wind should make it rideable for a beginner.
Tuesday morning, August 11th, offers a drop in swell to 3ft from the NNE, still 8 seconds. The big win here is glassy conditions with a slight air from the S at 3 mph. Combined energy is weak (113). It’s surfable but very ordinary. The afternoon turns onshore from the E at 6 mph, making it poor.
The next decent window comes on Thursday afternoon, August 13th. The swell picks up to 6ft from the NE with a short period of 7 seconds. That’s a bit of size, but it’s short period, so it won’t have much push. The wind goes glassy from the N at 3 mph, and the wave energy is moderate (309). The description says “expect good surf conditions,” which is the best we’ll see all period. However, the short period means the shape might be a bit lumpy. Still, with glassy wind, it’s the best on offer. For a beginner, 6ft might be a bit much, but for a confident surfer, it’s worth a look.
The rest of the forecast is a struggle. From Friday, August 14th, through to the end of the run, the swell drops and stays small—mostly under 3ft, often under 2ft. The wind is all over the place, with onshore, cross, and offshore conditions, but it’s hard to get excited about 1.0ft waves. The combined energy drops to single digits later on, meaning the ocean is flat.
There is a glimmer of a longer period swell toward the end of the second week—on Saturday, August 22nd, a 0.7ft from the ENE with a period of 13 seconds, and on Sunday, August 23rd, a 1.0ft from the NE with a period of 12 seconds. But these are tiny waves that won’t break properly at a beach/bar. The combined energy is very weak (21–40). Then on Monday, August 24th, the wind picks up to 22 mph from the SE, bringing a little 3ft swell with a 9-second period, but it’s onshore and lumpy. Not worth paddling out.
The standouts? There’s just one real window: Thursday afternoon, August 13th, at the Whangamata Estuary. The 6ft NE swell with glassy wind is the best you’ll get. The break is inconsistent, so don’t expect a constant flow, but when it’s glassy, it’s clean. Crowds are possible as it’s sometimes busy. The swell direction (NNE to NE) matches the optimum swell direction from the ENE well enough, but the short period keeps it from being top-tier.
Bottom line: no big swells, no epic days. The best is a single afternoon with clean conditions and a bit of size. The rest of the period is small, choppy, or flat. For this area, a blank run like this isn’t unusual, but it’s still a bummer.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 31mm), heaviest during Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Wed morning, min 9°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 49mm), heaviest during Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri afternoon, min 12°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | ||||||||||||||
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) | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NNE 8 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | ESE 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
110 | 105 | 107 | 147 | 238 | 221 | 178 | 316 | 263 | 226 | 170 | 160 | 88 | 134 | 188 | 178 | 97 | 117 | 275 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | glassy | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross | on | on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:31AM1.72m | 5:13PM1.84m | 5:33AM1.76m | 6:11PM1.90m | 6:31AM1.80m | 7:05PM1.96m | 7:27AM1.83m | 7:56PM1.98m | 8:19AM1.85m | 8:45PM1.97m | 9:10AM1.84m | 9:32PM1.93m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:25PM0.32m | 10:51AM0.15m | 11:29PM0.26m | 11:51AM0.10m | 00:29AM0.19m | 12:48PM0.06m | 1:25AM0.12m | 1:41PM0.04m | 2:17AM0.08m | 2:32PM0.05m | 3:06AM0.06m | 3:21PM0.09m | |||||||
— | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 10 | 18 | 8 | 10 | — | 4 | 4 | 21 | 2 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 10 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 11 |
Feels °C | 8 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | E 13 | E 16 | NE 6 | ENE 7 | E 14 | ENE 6 | E 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | ESE 9 |
110 | 105 | 107 | 147 | 238 | 167 | 178 | 3 | 5 | 162 | 170 | 4 | 88 | 134 | 188 | 178 | 97 | 117 | 275 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | NE 12 | — | — | N 12 | N 12 | — | — | E 13 | E 16 | E 15 | NE 8 | NE 8 | NE 8 | E 13 | SE 4 | NE 7 | NE 7 | ESE 6 |
3 | 5 | — | — | 3 | 3 | — | — | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 30 | 35 | 3 | 3 | 54 | 32 | 21 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 12 | N 13 | N 13 | — | — | E 14 | — | N 11 | N 11 | N 11 | E 14 | E 14 | E 13 | N 10 | E 12 | SE 5 | — | — |
— | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | — | 4 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 3 | — | — | NE 4 | — | NE 8 | E 5 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 6 | — | ENE 6 | SSE 4 | SSE 3 | — | SSW 2 | SW 3 | SSE 4 | SSE 6 |
3 | — | — | 20 | — | 221 | 16 | 316 | 263 | 226 | — | 160 | 5 | 2 | — | 1 | 2 | 4 | 129 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 59 | 106 | 125 | 122 | 106 | 49 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 106 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in The Coromandel | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.











