
Surf Forecasts:
Whangara surf forecast from 20 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 28 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 10s period, S swell with 3,266 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 11s 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 Tuesday (Jul 21) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 11s 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 4.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 8s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Whangara over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on offer at Whangara over the next couple of weeks.
The first few days are pretty ordinary, but we’ve got a solid run of surf coming in the back half of the window. The real standout will be Wednesday the 29th, with clean, well-shaped waves for the experienced crew.
Right now, on Tuesday the 21st, we’ve got a small 2ft swell from the SE with an 11-second period, but the wind is a cross-offshore, making it messy. The water temp is about average for this time of year. Not much to get excited about. Wednesday the 22nd is where it starts to pick up. Morning brings a 4ft S swell at 12 seconds with a light offshore wind. That’s clean, with moderate wave energy (554). The afternoon gets even better – glassy conditions with a 4ft S swell. That’s the pick of the early week.
Then we hit a flat spell. Thursday the 23rd, Friday the 24th, and Saturday the 25th have tiny swell, well under 2ft, and the energy is weak (as low as 30). The wind is light and offshore, but there’s just no swell to work with. A real bummer.
Sunday the 26th and Monday the 27th see a jump in size. Sunday has 3ft ESE swell with a long 14-second period, and moderate to strong energy (440 to 537). The wind is messy on Sunday morning, but the afternoon cleans up with a cross-off breeze. Monday the 27th gets bigger – 7ft to 7ft ESE swell, again with a long 13-second period, and strong energy (2408 to 2855). The wind is cross-off and clean. This is getting interesting, but it’s still a bit raw.
Now, here’s the big call. Wednesday the 29th is the absolute standout. The morning has a 7ft ESE swell from a 12-second period, with a clean offshore wind from the WNW. The energy is very strong (1510), and the forecast says excellent conditions for experienced surfers. This is a solid, powerful groundswell with a long period, so it will be lumpy and straight at the beach, but Whangara is a beach and reef setup, so it should handle that energy well. The afternoon is still clean, with a 7ft ESE swell and a lighter cross-off wind. This is the one to aim for.
Tuesday the 28th is a bit of a warning. The morning has a 12ft S swell, but it’s too big for this break – only for the brave, and the wind is a cross-off. The afternoon drops to 8ft but gets choppy. Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st settle back to 6ft to 4ft, with clean conditions, but the energy is tapering off (999 to 470). After that, the first few days of August drop back to small, weak surf with poor conditions.
So, the best bet is Wednesday the 29th, with the morning offshore session being the pick for experienced surfers. The 22nd is a nice warm-up with glassy conditions. Keep in mind, the long-period swell on the 27th and 29th might push through a bit straight at the beach, but the reef should sort it out. Crowds are possible at Whangara, so don’t expect to be alone.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Mon night. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu afternoon, min 8°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri morning, min 7°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | ||||||||||||||
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 11 | SE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | S 12 | S 12 | SSE 11 | SE 11 | S 12 | SSE 11 | S 10 | S 10 | ENE 8 | N 9 | SE 17 | SE 16 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
160 | 123 | 109 | 78 | 510 | 400 | 119 | 30 | 71 | 38 | 18 | 17 | 24 | 59 | 142 | 245 | 362 | 318 | 825 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-on | off | off | glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-on |
High Tide | 10:55PM1.54m | 11:25AM1.44m | 11:45PM1.47m | 12:16PM1.40m | 00:34AM1.40m | 1:06PM1.37m | 1:23AM1.35m | 1:55PM1.34m | 2:12AM1.31m | 2:44PM1.33m | 3:01AM1.29m | 3:32PM1.34m | |||||||
Low Tide | 5:16AM0.11m | 5:35PM0.19m | 6:04AM0.16m | 6:26PM0.25m | 6:51AM0.22m | 7:15PM0.31m | 7:38AM0.27m | 8:04PM0.35m | 8:25AM0.31m | 8:53PM0.37m | 9:12AM0.32m | 9:42PM0.38m | |||||||
— | 7:18 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:12 | — | |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | 8 | 18 |
Temp °C | 11 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 8 |
Feels °C | 7 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 0 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 19 | S 16 | S 15 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | S 12 | NE 4 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 8 | N 9 | E 12 | SE 16 | S 8 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 |
4313 | 2234 | 1589 | 905 | 510 | 400 | 212 | 107 | 71 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 24 | 59 | 139 | 245 | 245 | 318 | 825 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 11 | SE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | SSE 11 | S 8 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | NE 4 | S 10 | S 9 | N 4 | SE 17 | E 11 | ESE 14 | E 13 | N 9 |
160 | 123 | 109 | 78 | 44 | 42 | 119 | 29 | 49 | 23 | 5 | 17 | 14 | 4 | 142 | 82 | 362 | 219 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 10 | SE 10 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SSE 11 | S 10 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ENE 8 | NNE 6 | N 9 | E 10 | SSW 16 | NNW 8 |
— | — | — | — | — | 43 | 25 | 30 | 30 | 38 | 18 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 78 | 24 | 7 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | N 4 | NW 2 | NNE 4 | NNE 6 | W 4 | W 4 | SSW 8 | — | S 8 | S 8 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 94 | 24 | 36 | 804 | — | 198 | 663 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 17 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 19 | 11 | 65 | 17 | 11 | 32 | 24 | 12 | 8 | 24 | 97 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gisborne and Mahia | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.










