Whangara Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.58° S 178.21° E

Whangara Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 08 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Whangara sea temperature is
14.3° C
0.5° 

Whangara surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Whangara surf forecast from 8 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 8 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 10s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 10 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 10s period, SSE swell with 4,508 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 8 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 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 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 4s 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 4.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 10) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 11s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 09) at 3PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 9PM (Wed 8th Jul)5.5ft (1.7m) 10s
Best Surf 9PM (Wed 8th Jul)5.5ft (1.7m) 10s
Most Powerful 9AM (Fri 10th Jul)15ft (4.5m) 10s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Whangara over the next 16 days.


G’day, Rusty here. Alright, let’s have a look at what the next couple of weeks are shaping up like for the coast here. We’re talking Whangara, a beach and reef setup that’s fairly consistent and open to most swells. The water’s sitting around 57.7°, which is pretty average for this time of year, so nothing wild going on there.

Right now, we’re coming out of a pretty ordinary stretch. Wednesday morning, July 8th, you’ve got a 5.6ft swell out of the ESE at 10 seconds, but that cross-shore wind from the SW at 12 mph has it looking messy. The combined energy is moderate at 745, but the conditions are marginal at best. Honestly, it’s not worth paddling out for – the cross-chop is making it a slog.

Thursday morning the 9th is a bit smaller at 5.2ft from the E, but the wind is still cross from the SSW at 9 mph, so it’s still only marginal with a slight chop. Then Thursday afternoon goes downhill fast – a 8.2ft southerly swell with the wind swinging to a fresh 22 mph cross-on breeze, and the energy jumps to 2108. That’s lumpy, poor surf, and not one for the fun-hog.

Friday the 10th and Saturday the 11th are a write-off. Friday morning pumping 14.8ft of SSE swell at 10 seconds, but with a strong 25 mph cross-on wind and heavy rain, it’s just a mess. Energy is big at 4586, but it’s all wind-chop. Saturday stays in the 7.9ft to 8.2ft range with cross-on winds, so still no joy.

But then, Sunday the 12th – that’s the first real glimmer. The morning looks clean. Swell is 5.6ft from the SE at 10 seconds, and the wind drops to a light cross-off breeze from the SW at 6 mph. Energy is still moderate at 557, but the clean conditions make it surfable. The afternoon is a bit tricky with onshore wind, so aim for the morning session. That’s the pick of the first week.

Monday the 13th is small and clean but very ordinary – 3.9ft from the SE at 9 seconds in the morning, with a light offshore from the NNW. It’s surfable if you’re desperate, but nothing to write home about.

Now, Tuesday the 14th and Wednesday the 15th are tiny – 2.3ft to 3.3ft. But Tuesday afternoon has glassy conditions with a 2.6ft swell from the ESE, and Wednesday afternoon gets interesting with a glassy ESE swell at 3.3ft and a period of 13 seconds. That’s a long period groundswell, so it’ll have some shape even if it’s small. Energy is moderate at 436.

Thursday the 16th is where it starts to get a bit more serious. Morning sees a 7.5ft ESE swell at a very long 14 seconds, with a light cross-shore wind from the SW. Energy jumps to 2194. That’s a solid groundswell, but the wind is a bit cross, so it’s not perfect. Still, it’s worth a look for experienced surfers. The afternoon gets a touch cross-onshore, so morning is better.

Friday the 17th stays in the 6.6ft to 6.9ft range from the SE at 12 seconds, but it’s onshore wind, making it marginal and a bit bumpy.

Saturday the 18th has a 5.9ft to 6.2ft ESE swell, but cross-onshore winds in the morning and cross-shore in the afternoon. The afternoon has a long 13-second period, which could be okay for a reef or point break, but the wind chop will be there.

Then we hit a lull. Sunday the 19th and Monday the 20th are poor – 3.6ft to 5.2ft but with cross-onshore winds from the east, making it choppy and unappealing. Energy is moderate but the conditions kill it.

Tuesday the 21st is a beast. Swell hits 14.8ft in the morning and 16.4ft in the afternoon from the ENE and E, with periods around 9 to 11 seconds. The combined energy is massive – 3626 in the morning and a whopping 12508 in the afternoon. But here’s the thing: the wind is cross-onshore and the swell is too big for this break. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it’s going to be a washing machine. Not for the faint-hearted.

Wednesday the 22nd is still too big – 16.4ft dropping to 11.5ft – with light cross-onshore wind. Still huge for Whangara.

And then, the standout. Thursday the 23rd. Morning looks magic. Swell settles to 5.6ft from the ESE at a very long 13 seconds, and the wind is light cross-off from the NNE at 6 mph. The combined energy

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 42mm), heaviest during Fri morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Wed morning, min 10°C on Fri afternoon). Winds increasing (light winds from the WSW on Wed night, strong winds from the SSW by Thu night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Mon morning, min 9°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light.

Wednesday
8
Thursday
9
Friday
10
Saturday
11
Sunday
12
Monday
13
Tuesday
14
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
2
2
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.7
ESE
10
1.7
ESE
10
1.8
ESE
10
1.6
E
10
2.5
S
11
4.5
S
11
4.5
SSE
10
4
SSE
10
3
SE
10
2.4
SE
10
2.5
SE
10
2.1
SE
9
1.7
SE
10
1.6
SE
9
1.4
SE
9
1.2
SE
9
1.1
SE
9
0.9
ESE
8
0.7
ESE
8
0.8
ESE
10
0.9
ESE
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
598
586
616
520
1608
4328
4508
2851
1690
1137
1201
750
557
459
300
242
182
123
58
117
166
Wind (km/h)
20
SW
20
SSW
20
SW
15
SSW
35
S
45
S
40
S
35
SSW
30
SSW
20
SSW
20
SSW
10
SSW
10
SW
10
SSE
10
NW
10
NNW
15
NNE
10
NW
10
NW
5
WSW
15
WNW
Wind State
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-off
on
off
off
cross-off
off
off
glassy
off
High Tide
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
5:58PM0.26m
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
11:48PM0.07m
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
thunderstorm
heavy rain
heavy rain
light rain
rain showers
light rain
light rain
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
light rain
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:24
7:24
7:22
7:22
7:22
7:22
7:22
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:00
5:00
5:00
5:00
5:01
5:02
5:02
 mm
2
5
16
14
3
2
3
1
4
Temp °C
13
13
11
13
13
12
11
10
10
9
11
10
11
11
9
13
13
11
15
16
12
Feels °C
9
9
8
8
7
4
3
3
3
4
6
6
8
8
6
9
10
8
13
15
9
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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