
Surf Forecasts:
Whangara surf forecast from 10 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 11 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 12s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 17 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 10s period, SE swell with 1,359 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 11 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 12s period with SSE 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 (Aug 11) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 7s. 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 2.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 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 3.0m 8s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Tue 11th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Tue 11th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Mon 17th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Whangara over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let's break it down in feet and miles per hour for the crew that thinks that way.
Imperial Units
The pattern for the next 16 days at Whangara is a tale of two halves. The first week or so is a bit of a struggle, with passing swells and messy wind, but then it builds towards a truly epic, albeit huge, climax. The real standout is a window way out there, so keep your eyes peeled.
We kick off on Monday the 10th of August. The afternoon is glassy, with a 3 ft swell from the SSE, but it’s a weak one with a combined energy of just 232. It’s surfable, but nothing to get excited about. The water temp is sitting at 56°F, which is about average for the time of year.
Tuesday the 11th morning is our first proper flicker of hope. The wind is light and cross-offshore from the WSW at 6 mph, and the swell has bumped up to 4 ft from the SSE with a 12-second period, giving it a solid 445 combined energy. The conditions are looking clean. Afternoon gets messy though, so make the most of the morning.
The rest of the week is a bit of a write-off really. Wednesday the 12th has a 4 ft SSE swell, but it’s short period (8 seconds) and cross-shore wind. Thursday and Friday are cross-off or cross-shore with marginal conditions. Friday the 14th sees a rise in swell to 7 ft from the NE, but the period is a short 7 seconds, so it’ll be a bit of a bumpy, unorganized mess.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The weekend of the 15th and 16th of August looks promising. Saturday morning offers a 5 ft ESE swell with a cross-offshore breeze, and the afternoon goes glassy with a 5 ft SE swell. The combined energy is a strong 614, and the conditions are described as "glassy." This is a solid chance for some clean, fun waves. Sunday the 16th, however, is a complete blowout with near gale-force winds of 31 mph, so stay well away.
The following week is a monster. Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th are a write-off with strong winds and massive, messy swell. But then, on Wednesday the 19th of August, the swell goes absolutely nuclear. We’re looking at a 21 ft to 23 ft S swell with a very long period of 16-17 seconds. The combined energy is off the charts at 20,178 and 28,263. This is for experts only, and honestly, it’s probably too big even for them at this beach-and-reef setup. The wind is cross-shore, but the sheer size overshadows everything.
The real standout, the one you want to circle on your calendar, is Friday the 21st of August. The morning shows an 8 ft S swell with a 12-second period, a combined energy of 2448, and a clean offshore breeze from the NW. The optimum swell direction for Whangara is from the ENE, but this S swell is packing some serious punch. The conditions are "excellent for experienced surfers." This is the best on offer. The crowd factor is "sometimes," so you might have some company, but it’ll be worth it.
Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd also have some clean windows, with a glassy 4 ft swell on Saturday morning and a 8 ft S swell with a light offshore on Sunday morning. The rest of the forecast period fades out with onshore winds and messy conditions.
So, to sum it up: the first week is a bit average, but the weekend of the 15th offers a fun, glassy session. The big prize is Friday the 21st of August for the experienced crew. That’s the one to get fired up for.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon afternoon, min 9°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 71mm), heaviest during Fri night. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri morning, min 9°C on Sun morning). Winds increasing (calm on Fri night, near gales from the SW by Sun morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 10 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 8 | SE 12 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | NE 6 | NE 7 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | ESE 8 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
167 | 344 | 317 | 226 | 164 | 240 | 193 | 424 | 211 | 135 | 352 | 420 | 234 | 188 | 294 | 326 | 338 | 477 | 528 | 1079 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 3:13PM1.56m | 3:37AM1.49m | 4:13PM1.59m | 4:38AM1.51m | 5:12PM1.63m | 5:37AM1.53m | 6:08PM1.65m | 6:34AM1.54m | 7:03PM1.66m | 7:29AM1.55m | 7:55PM1.65m | 8:22AM1.54m | 8:46PM1.61m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:29PM0.16m | 9:52AM0.09m | 10:31PM0.13m | 10:52AM0.06m | 11:31PM0.09m | 11:51AM0.03m | 00:29AM0.06m | 12:48PM0.02m | 1:24AM0.04m | 1:42PM0.03m | 2:17AM0.03m | 2:35PM0.06m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | |
5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 5 | 13 | 5 | 9 | 13 | 21 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
Temp °C | 16 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 8 |
Feels °C | 14 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 10 | 0 | -3 | -2 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSW 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | NE 7 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 |
167 | 344 | 317 | 226 | 109 | 240 | 123 | 424 | 211 | 135 | 123 | 101 | 234 | 166 | 294 | 326 | 338 | 477 | 528 | 1079 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | SSE 11 | N 8 | SE 12 | N 8 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | SSE 8 | ESE 8 | NNE 8 | NE 7 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | NNE 7 | NE 7 | S 20 |
51 | 30 | 50 | 34 | 164 | 35 | 193 | 32 | 48 | 40 | 6 | 28 | 203 | 117 | 171 | 282 | 92 | 35 | 23 | 8 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 9 | N 8 | S 17 | S 18 | N 8 | NE 10 | N 8 | S 10 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | E 15 | ESE 14 | NE 10 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | S 17 | NE 7 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 20 |
14 | 35 | 22 | 55 | 31 | 4 | 33 | 50 | 17 | 16 | 4 | 20 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 6 | 47 | 104 | 92 | 38 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSW 6 | S 8 | — | E 4 | ENE 4 | NE 4 | NNE 5 | NE 5 | NE 6 | NE 7 | — | ENE 7 | — | — | SW 3 | SSW 7 | S 7 | S 8 |
— | — | 56 | 301 | — | 6 | 22 | 22 | 56 | 70 | 352 | 420 | — | 188 | — | — | 5 | 237 | 335 | 825 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 0 | 11 | 20 | 0 | 12 | 62 | 19 | 11 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 107 | 107 | 107 |
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)
Latest Updates
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.











