
Surf Forecasts:
Whangara surf forecast from 7 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 8 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 10s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 10 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 10s period, SSE swell with 4,871 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 8 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 10s 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 08) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 3s is also forecast. 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 5.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 10) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.5m 10s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 09) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Wed 8th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Wed 8th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Fri 10th Jul) | 16ft (5.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Whangara over the next 16 days.
Alright mates, Rusty here. Let’s break down what Whangara's got cooking.
We start off Wednesday morning with a 6ft swell from the ESE, but the wind is side-shore from the SW at 9 mph, putting a bit of a chop on it. It's pretty marginal. This run of lumpy, windy, and wet conditions hangs around for the rest of the week. Wednesday afternoon is more of the same, and from Thursday into Friday, we're looking at strong winds and messy, poor surf. That big stuff hits Friday morning with a hefty 15ft swell from the SSE, but a strong cross-onshore wind at 25 mph makes it a total loss for a paddle. There’s a stretch of about five days where you’re better off staying home.
Things finally turn the corner on Sunday, July 12th. Sunday morning we’ve got clean 6ft swell from the SE with a light cross-offshore breeze from the WSW at 6 mph. The afternoon gets even better: the wind drops to nothing, going glassy, with the swell settling to 5ft. That is your first standout. Clean, lined-up waves with moderate energy. It’s a beach and reef setup here at Whangara, and with the wind going glassy, it'll be butter.
Monday and Tuesday keep that clean look, but the swell drops back to around 3ft. It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about.
Now, look ahead to Wednesday, July 15th. Wednesday morning is where we get another standout. A 5ft groundswell from the ESE with a long 14-second period rolls in. The wind is light offshore from the WNW. The combined energy is strong, and the forecast is for very good conditions. That long period means some proper power and shape, perfect for a point or reef. Just remember, with that period, the waves might straighten out a bit on the beach, so work the banks.
Thursday, July 16th, might just be the pick of the whole run for the experienced crew. Thursday morning delivers a 6ft ESE groundswell, still with that lovely 14-second period, and the wind is a light offshore from the W at only 3 mph. The combined energy is solid. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. Clean, powerful, and proper. It's looking very promising, but it's a week out so keep an eye on it.
After that, the wind turns against us again, and we’re back into a run of poor, choppy conditions from Friday the 17th right through to the end of the window. A long blank spell kicks in from about the 17th onwards.
Water temp is about average for this time of year. Nothing out of the ordinary.
So to sum it up: survive the early mess, get out for a glassy Sunday the 12th, and keep your eyes peeled for that gorgeous Wednesday morning on the 15th, and the Thursday morning for the experienced crew on the 16th. That’s your window.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 40mm), heaviest during Fri morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Wed morning, min 10°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SW on Tue night, strong winds from the SSW by Thu night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 13°C on Mon morning, min 9°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Fri night, calm by Sun afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tue 14 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | S 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
666 | 667 | 625 | 616 | 459 | 3594 | 3790 | 3633 | 3490 | 1446 | 1070 | 1154 | 851 | 481 | 373 | 276 | 226 | 211 | 121 | 186 | 190 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:18PM1.42m | 11:47AM1.35m | 00:06AM1.43m | 12:38PM1.39m | 00:59AM1.44m | 1:34PM1.44m | 1:55AM1.46m | 2:31PM1.50m | 2:54AM1.49m | 3:31PM1.56m | 3:54AM1.52m | 4:30PM1.62m | 4:54AM1.55m | 5:29PM1.67m | |||||||
Low Tide | 5:43AM0.22m | 5:58PM0.26m | 6:29AM0.19m | 6:50PM0.25m | 7:20AM0.16m | 7:46PM0.22m | 8:14AM0.13m | 8:45PM0.19m | 9:11AM0.10m | 9:46PM0.16m | 10:10AM0.06m | 10:47PM0.11m | 11:09AM0.02m | ||||||||
— | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | |
— | — | 5:00 | — | — | 5:00 | — | — | 5:00 | — | — | 5:00 | — | — | 5:01 | — | — | 5:02 | — | — | 5:02 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 4 | 4 | 13 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 |
Feels °C | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 10 | ESE 10 | NNE 8 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 |
666 | 667 | 625 | 616 | 459 | 402 | 35 | 136 | 60 | 1446 | 1070 | 1154 | 851 | 481 | 373 | 276 | 226 | 211 | 121 | 186 | 190 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | SSW 10 | NNE 8 | — | SSW 18 | — | SSW 16 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | S 17 | S 15 | S 14 | S 13 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | SSW 9 | S 9 |
182 | 147 | 121 | 86 | 167 | 41 | — | 214 | — | 51 | 41 | 37 | 283 | 279 | 261 | 215 | 123 | 110 | 48 | 29 | 14 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 10 | SSW 9 | SSW 8 | S 7 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | — | — | — | — | SSW 16 | SSW 20 | SSW 10 | — | NE 10 | E 12 | NE 12 | NE 11 | ESE 11 | NE 4 | SSW 12 |
56 | 28 | 24 | 28 | 36 | 54 | — | — | — | — | 25 | 127 | 33 | — | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 40 | 4 | 14 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 3 | SSW 8 | — | SSW 5 | S 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | S 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 3 | N 4 | NNE 4 |
— | 7 | 113 | — | 35 | 3594 | 3790 | 3633 | 3490 | 588 | 202 | 140 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 8 | 29 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 17 | 13 | 24 | 17 | 35 | 51 | 108 | 110 | 108 | 51 | 107 | 51 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
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.











