Surf-Forecast | Waikuku Beach Surf Guide

Waikuku Beach Surf Guide

Waikuku Beach in Kaikoura is an exposed beach break that has reasonably consistent surf, although summer tends to be mostly flat. Offshore winds are from the west. Tends to receive a mix of groundswells and windswells and the best swell direction is from the south southeast. The beach breaks offer lefts and rights. Unlikely to be too crowded, even when the surf is up.

Waikuku Beach Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Beach	3	fairly consistent	12.5°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Waikuku Beach:

The best conditions reported for surf at Waikuku Beach occur when a South-southeast swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the West-northwest.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

What's the best time of year to surf Waikuku Beach (for consistent clean waves)?

juneBest Season: winter

The best time of year for surfing Waikuku Beach with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winter and most often the month of June. Clean surfable waves are typically found 33% of the time in June while 33% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 34% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

33%

Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.

blown out

33%

Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).

too small

34%

Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Waikuku Beach Location Map

Interactive Waikuku Beach surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The closest passenger airport to Waikuku Beach is Christchurch International Airport (CHC) in New Zealand, 27 km (17 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Waikuku Beach is Hokitika Airport (HKK), also in New Zealand, 155 km (96 miles) away.

Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)

Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.

Waikuku Beach Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Tuesday, 9 June 2026, 13:09 Local Time

m, °C	Tuesday 09
ft, °F	9AM	12PM	3PM	6PM
Wave (m)	SE	SE	SE	SE
Period (s)	17	17	21	19
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	cross- off	cross- off	cross	cross- off

What does Waikuku Beach look like?

Latest photos from Waikuku Beach. Upload your own or view all photos on the gallery page.

Credit: Fish Credit: Aidan Morris

Tides at Waikuku Beach

Current tide and informaton

For Waikuku Beach, 0 km from Waikuku Beach.

Next High Water: 11:32pm | 1.75m

Next Low Water: 05:20pm | 0.38m

NEXT	IS AT (local time)	remaining
high tide
low tide

Waikuku Beach Sea Temperature

The water temperature (12.5 °C) at Waikuku Beach is quite cold. Despite the sun, windchill of 8.0 °C means that surfers will need plenty of neoprene. Wear a quality winter wetsuit, a neoprene hood, gloves and boots. A windchill factor of (8.0 °C).

Today, many surfers would wear a winter wetsuit, a neoprene hood, gloves and boots.