
Surf Forecasts:
Whangara surf forecast from 11 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 15 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 11s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 15 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 11s period, S swell with 544 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period with S 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 Saturday (Sep 12) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 6s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Whangara in the next 16 days are 1.5m 11s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 15) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 14s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 13) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Tue 15th Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Tue 15th Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Whangara over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s be straight, the next week and a half is looking pretty ordinary for Whangara. We've got a real flat spell on the way, but there a couple of little windows that might get you out of the house. The water temp is sitting around 56°F, which is pretty much what you'd expect for this time of year – nothing unusual there.
The action, if you can call it that, kicks off Friday 11th. The morning sees a tiny 1ft NE swell with a long 13-second period, but it's wrapping in with cross-off winds. The energy is weak (91), so it's small and pretty gutless. The afternoon goes even worse, shifting onshore and smaller. Honestly, a day best spent doing something else. The weekend of the 12th and 13th is a complete write-off. Strong, onshore winds and a messy 4ft cross-shore chop on Saturday, then a drop back down to tiny 1ft junk on Sunday. Don't even think about it.
Monday 14th is about as flat as it gets, with the morning going glassy on a 1.0ft swell, but there’s just nothing to ride.
Things finally get a little interesting on Tuesday 15th. That morning, a 5ft S swell rolls in with a decent 10-second period, and the wind is light and cross-off (NNE at 5 km/h). The energy jumps up to 447 (moderate) and it's predicted to be clean. This is the best chance in the first week, but it's a quick hit. The afternoon sees the wind pick up and go cross-shore, killing it. For Wednesday 16th and Thursday 17th, we’ve got clean, surfable but very ordinary surf. Small S swells of 2-3ft and light winds keep things looking pretty, but the power is lacking.
Then we hit another rough patch from Friday 18th all the way through to Tuesday 22nd. Strong cross-onshore winds and tiny, weak swells dominate. There is a clean morning on Saturday 19th with a 2ft SE swell and offshore winds, but the waves are just too small to get excited about. A big gap of poor conditions.
The standout window looks like it could be Wednesday 23rd. The morning shows a clean 4ft S swell with a long 12-second period (480 energy) and light cross-off winds. That's the kind of longer-period groundswell that can wrap into the bay and produce some decent lines. The afternoon gets messy again with strong cross-onshore winds. The final call is Friday 25th afternoon, where we see a 5ft S swell with an 8-second period and clean offshore NW winds at 15 km/h (330 energy). The period is a little short, but offshore winds at that size can clean things up nicely.
So, for the whole 16 days, the only ones I'd really pencil in are the Tuesday 15th morning for that clean little S swell, and the promise of Wednesday 23rd morning for the bigger, longer-period S swell. Friday 25th afternoon is another potential, but it's a long way out. It's not a classic run, but if you’re keen and patient, those are the moments.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Sun morning, min 8°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Mon morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Wed afternoon, min 9°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NE 13 | SE 7 | NE 9 | SSW 6 | S 6 | NE 13 | NE 12 | NE 12 | NE 12 | NE 12 | NE 12 | NNE 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
60 | 19 | 40 | 80 | 83 | 80 | 53 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 12 | 416 | 313 | 186 | 136 | 108 | 63 | 86 | 65 | 72 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 5:49PM1.58m | 6:16AM1.51m | 6:41PM1.58m | 7:08AM1.52m | 7:30PM1.57m | 7:57AM1.52m | 8:18PM1.54m | 8:45AM1.51m | 9:05PM1.49m | 9:31AM1.49m | 9:51PM1.45m | 10:16AM1.45m | 10:36PM1.39m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:34AM0.10m | 00:09AM0.08m | 12:29PM0.09m | 1:00AM0.07m | 1:21PM0.10m | 1:49AM0.07m | 2:11PM0.11m | 2:36AM0.10m | 2:59PM0.15m | 3:22AM0.14m | 3:46PM0.19m | 4:06AM0.19m | 4:32PM0.24m | ||||||||
6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | |
— | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 15 | 16 | 12 | 17 | 18 | 14 |
Feels °C | 8 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 7 | SSW 7 | S 7 | SSW 17 | SSW 17 | S 15 | S 14 | NE 12 | S 10 | S 12 | S 13 | S 12 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 12 |
27 | 54 | 52 | 99 | 470 | 2701 | 2346 | 23 | 802 | 1290 | 1163 | 690 | 416 | 313 | 186 | 136 | 108 | 63 | 86 | 65 | 72 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 13 | S 18 | S 18 | NE 8 | NE 13 | NE 13 | NE 12 | ENE 8 | SSW 18 | NE 12 | NE 12 | NNE 11 | NNE 11 | NE 13 | NE 12 | NE 12 | NE 12 | S 9 | NE 11 | NE 11 | SE 9 |
60 | 173 | 156 | 18 | 43 | 80 | 53 | 7 | 104 | 22 | 22 | 12 | 13 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 39 | 20 | 19 | 27 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SE 7 | NE 9 | NE 13 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | N 10 | SE 11 | NE 12 | ENE 8 | E 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 13 | SSW 15 | SE 10 | SE 11 | ESE 10 | NE 4 | NNE 4 | S 14 | NE 11 |
62 | 19 | 40 | 44 | 18 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 23 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 18 | 23 | 4 | 20 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 16 | 19 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 3 | — | W 2 | SSW 6 | S 6 | — | — | S 13 | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | NNE 4 | NE 5 | NE 4 | NW 3 | WNW 2 | NNE 2 | N 6 |
4 | — | 1 | 80 | 83 | — | — | 1736 | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 10 | 11 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 15 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 62 | 11 | 51 | 24 | 16 | 11 | 109 | 17 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 62 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gisborne and Mahia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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)
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.










