
Surf Forecasts:
Whangara surf forecast from 14 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 17 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 16s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 17 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 15s period, ESE swell with 1,721 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 15 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 12s period with ESE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Whangara this week:
The surf forecast for Whangara over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Whangara in the next 16 days are 1.9m 15s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 17) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 14s period and expected on Friday (Jul 17) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Wed 15th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Fri 17th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Fri 17th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Whangara over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, let’s break down what’s coming our way.
We’re kicking off with a bit of a flat, frustrating start. The first few days – Tuesday the 14th through Wednesday the 15th – are pretty much a write-off. You’re looking at tiny dribbles around 2ft to 2ft from the ESE and E, with poor conditions. Not worth paddling out for.
The first real sign of life shows up on Thursday morning, the 16th of July. It’s still marginal, but things start to build. The real spark comes Thursday afternoon – a clean 3ft swell from the ESE (period 17 seconds) with offshore WNW winds. That is a proper long-period groundswell, with moderate wave energy (583), and it’ll be glassy and clean. Whangara is a beach and reef setup, and for a long-period ESE swell like this, the reef sections should hold up really well.
Friday morning the 17th of July is the standout of the entire run. This is the one you want to point your car at. We’ve got a solid 6ft ESE swell, period 15 seconds, strong wave energy (1567), and light WNW cross-off winds. The water temp is sitting at 58°, which is average for this time of year – no anomaly, just standard winter gear. The conditions are rated excellent for experienced surfers. The optimum swell direction here is ENE, and this ESE swell is close enough to deliver quality, especially with that long period wrapping into the reef. Crowds can pop up here sometimes, so get in early.
Saturday morning the 18th is another cracker, just a notch below Friday. 6ft ESE swell, period 14 seconds, strong energy (1244), and glassy offshore NNW winds. Clean as a whistle. Strong and consistent.
From Monday the 20th, we see a bit of a drop-off in quality. Monday afternoon brings a bigger 6ft southerly swell, but it’s cross-onshore with light wind ripples – marginal. The rest of that week into the 21st and 22nd is small to moderate, with only a few fleeting glassy windows like Tuesday afternoon (21st) when the swell drops to 3ft from the ESE with glassy conditions.
Then, from the 23rd of July onward, things go completely ballistic but in a bad way for paddle surfing. We’re talking 8ft on Thursday morning, ramping up to 18ft by Saturday the 25th. The combined energy hits massive numbers like 5998 and 9419 – that's extreme. The wind is cross and cross-onshore from the ENE, and the swell direction is from the NE. The forecast notes say it’s simply too big for this break. This is kite-surfing territory, not a day for a shortboard unless you’re a total lunatic. For paddlers, this is a no-go zone.
After that massive pulse fades, things don't clean up much. The final days of July into the 29th see dropping swell and improving winds – a small 4ft ENE groundswell on Wednesday the 29th with offshore NW winds and clean conditions. That’s a nice little morning session for anyone who’s patient.
Bottom line: The absolute best surf is Friday morning the 17th of July at Whangara. Saturday morning the 18th is a very close second. Get on it, because the second week turns into a monster swell with messy winds and then fades into small, average stuff.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 11°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Sat morning, min 9°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 12 | E 11 | E 10 | ESE 13 | ESE 15 | ESE 17 | ESE 16 | ESE 15 | ESE 15 | ESE 15 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | SE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | S 15 | ESE 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
39 | 25 | 79 | 61 | 56 | 56 | 242 | 550 | 1305 | 1567 | 1676 | 1467 | 1244 | 1080 | 845 | 572 | 479 | 397 | 299 | 1466 | 239 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | glassy | off | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | cross-on | off | off | on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:29PM1.67m | 5:53AM1.57m | 6:27PM1.70m | 6:51AM1.58m | 7:23PM1.72m | 7:48AM1.58m | 8:18PM1.70m | 8:44AM1.56m | 9:11PM1.67m | 9:39AM1.52m | 10:04PM1.61m | 10:33AM1.49m | 10:55PM1.54m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:09AM0.02m | 11:48PM0.07m | 12:08PM-0.01m | 00:47AM0.04m | 1:06PM-0.02m | 1:45AM0.01m | 2:03PM-0.02m | 2:41AM0.01m | 2:58PM0.01m | 3:35AM0.02m | 3:52PM0.06m | 4:26AM0.06m | 4:44PM0.12m | ||||||||
7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | |
— | 5:02 | — | — | 5:04 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 |
Feels °C | 11 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | ESE 8 | ESE 12 | E 11 | E 10 | ESE 13 | ESE 15 | ESE 17 | ESE 16 | ESE 15 | ESE 15 | S 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | SSW 18 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | S 15 | S 15 |
75 | 25 | 79 | 61 | 56 | 56 | 242 | 550 | 1305 | 1567 | 1676 | 2073 | 1244 | 1080 | 845 | 572 | 983 | 397 | 299 | 1466 | 847 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 8 | SSW 12 | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | ESE 10 | S 17 | N 10 | SSW 16 | SSW 7 | S 16 | ESE 15 | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 | S 20 | SE 13 | S 16 | SSW 15 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 |
39 | 45 | 13 | 10 | 5 | 33 | 24 | 8 | 25 | 45 | 127 | 1467 | 566 | 307 | 153 | 961 | 479 | 635 | 395 | 285 | 239 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SSW 9 | S 9 | NE 10 | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | SSW 18 | — | SSW 16 | SW 19 | — | — | S 19 | S 23 | S 9 | — | S 21 | S 19 | — | — |
10 | 20 | 17 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 30 | — | 24 | 94 | — | — | 7 | 514 | 101 | — | 36 | 262 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | — | — | — | — | W 3 | NW 10 | W 4 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | — | — | — | — | S 9 | SSW 4 | S 6 | S 7 | — | ESE 6 |
35 | 44 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 25 | 12 | 107 | 77 | — | — | — | — | 176 | 31 | 154 | 206 | — | 43 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 17 | 35 | 110 | 24 | 24 | 35 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gisborne and Mahia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Whangara Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Whangara provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Whangara can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Whangara 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 (Whangara) 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 Whangara 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.
Are you planning a holiday in Gisborne and Mahia? If you are looking for accommodation near Whangara, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Gisborne and Mahia, consider staying in Gisborne which is 22 km (14 miles) away.










