
Surf Forecasts:
Whangara surf forecast from 22 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 27 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, S swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 27 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, S swell with 2,274 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 23 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s 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 Thursday (Jul 23) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 9s 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 3.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 27) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.5m 10s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 26) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Mon 27th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 9PM (Mon 27th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Whangara over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Righto, grab a coffee, let's have a look at what’s comin’ up for Whangara.
We’ve got a bit of a slow start, then it looks like it’ll turn on for a few solid sessions, especially towards the end of the first week and into the first weekend of August. The water temp here is pretty much what you'd expect for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Alright, Thursday morning the 23rd is small, with 2ft south swell, and it's glassy with a light offshore. It's surfable, but honestly pretty ordinary. That arvo, the wind swings and picks up, making a mess of things. Friday the 24th is even smaller in the morning – 1.0ft – with a clean offshore, but there's just no push. The arvo brings a bit more size at 2ft from the east, but it's short period, so it's a bit fat and weak.
Saturday morning the 25th is when things perk up. That east swell pushes to 4ft with a nice long 12-second period, and light offshore winds. The energy is moderate, and it’s looking clean and fun. Not huge, but definitely the pick of the first few days.
Sunday the 26th still has some juice in the morning – 3ft from the ESE with a long 14-second period, glassy cross-off winds and clean. The energy is moderate. The arvo gets chewed up by a southerly change and rain, so get out early.
Monday the 27th sees the swell building. The morning has 5ft from the ESE, clean but with some fresh cross-off wind making it a bit tricky. The energy is strong. The arvo jumps to 8ft from the south, but the wind swings onshore and it gets lumpy. This is getting into the bigger stuff, not one for the beginners.
Tuesday the 28th is pumping with a solid 10ft south swell in the morning, strong energy, and it’s clean with a cross-off breeze. That’s proper groundswell, but it’s big – big enough that experienced surfers only. The period is 11 seconds, so it’s got good power. The arvo stays big at 8ft but the wind gets messy.
Now, Wednesday the 29th is a standout. Morning has 6ft from the ESE with a long 13-second period, glassy offshore – barely a breath of wind – and the energy is strong. The water will be clean, the waves will have shape, and it won’t be as wild as Tuesday. This is a beauty.
Thursday the 30th has a still-juicy 5ft ESE swell in the morning, clean with a light offshore. Solid, fun waves. The arvo drops off a little.
Friday the 31st is interesting – a solid 8ft NNE swell pushes in during the morning, but the period is short at 7 seconds. That’s a windswell, a bit junky and walled up. Still, it’s clean and the energy is strong. The arvo hits 8ft, same short period. This might be more fun for a bigger board or a kite.
And then we get to the big one – Saturday the 1st of August. The morning has a massive 10ft ENE swell with an 11-second period and energy off the charts. Offshore winds, clean, and it’s pumping. That’s only for the crew who know what they’re doing; it’ll be heavy, powerful, and way too much for anyone learning. It’s the best swell of the whole run, but respect it.
Sunday the 2nd and Monday the 3rd get blown out by strong winds and rain. The swell drops right back, and conditions are poor. Tuesday the 4th is a write-off too with lumpy, choppy onshores.
Wednesday the 5th of August brings a nice reprieve – 8ft south swell with a clean offshore, strong energy, and it’s glassy in the morning. That’s a good one, a proper clean-up set. Thursday the 6th keeps the clean run going with a 5ft SSE swell and a moderate offshore, and the afternoon looks just as good.
Friday the 7th gets messy again with fresh winds and rain showers, the swell hanging around at 7ft but the quality drops.
So the real highlights are Wednesday the 29th of July – that clean, lined-up ESE swell with no wind – and Saturday the 1st of August for the big, expert-only groundswell. The rest of the time, pick your windows carefully.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Fri night. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri morning, min 6°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNW on Thu morning, fresh winds from the SW by Sat afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Very mild (max 11°C on Tue afternoon, min 5°C on Sun night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | |||||||||||||||
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) | S 9 | S 12 | SSE 11 | S 10 | ENE 8 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | SE 16 | SE 14 | ESE 14 | S 9 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 10 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
41 | 71 | 38 | 18 | 55 | 157 | 257 | 192 | 251 | 305 | 447 | 896 | 1507 | 1690 | 1980 | 1449 | 1512 | 1510 | 1497 | 1342 | 1045 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 1:06PM1.37m | 1:23AM1.35m | 1:55PM1.34m | 2:12AM1.31m | 2:44PM1.33m | 3:01AM1.29m | 3:32PM1.34m | 3:49AM1.28m | 4:20PM1.35m | 4:36AM1.29m | 5:06PM1.37m | 5:23AM1.30m | 5:52PM1.39m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:15PM0.31m | 7:38AM0.27m | 8:04PM0.35m | 8:25AM0.31m | 8:53PM0.37m | 9:12AM0.32m | 9:42PM0.38m | 9:59AM0.32m | 10:32PM0.37m | 10:47AM0.31m | 11:21PM0.35m | 11:34AM0.28m | 00:09AM0.32m | ||||||||
7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | |
— | 5:09 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:15 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 13 | 9 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 10 |
Feels °C | 8 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | S 12 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 8 | E 11 | E 11 | E 11 | SE 16 | SSW 10 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 14 | SSE 10 | S 10 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 |
106 | 71 | 14 | 14 | 55 | 157 | 257 | 192 | 251 | 1022 | 447 | 491 | 793 | 1106 | 1622 | 1081 | 1512 | 1510 | 1497 | 1342 | 1045 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | SSW 11 | SSE 11 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | N 8 | N 9 | E 10 | SE 14 | E 12 | SSW 15 | — | — | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | S 8 | SSW 10 | SSW 17 |
41 | 49 | 38 | 18 | 29 | 14 | 63 | 63 | 78 | 305 | 26 | 21 | — | — | 1396 | 1449 | 25 | 38 | 64 | 10 | 55 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | SE 11 | SSW 11 | ENE 8 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | SE 13 | ESE 17 | N 10 | E 12 | SW 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 |
30 | 30 | 23 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 27 | 117 | 30 | 106 | 60 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 20 | 38 | 19 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NE 6 | N 4 | N 4 | NNE 5 | NNE 5 | NW 4 | WSW 4 | SSW 9 | SSW 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 10 | S 10 | S 10 | — | S 10 | SSE 9 | — | — | — |
— | 23 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 102 | 30 | 52 | 1126 | 1561 | 874 | 896 | 1507 | 1690 | 1980 | — | 669 | 311 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 12 | 11 | 17 | 0 | 17 | 8 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 51 | 24 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 35 | 28 | 28 | 12 |
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.










