Arawhata Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(Taranaki, New Zealand)

Forecast
- Hourly Forecast
- 16 Day Forecast
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Weather State
Spot Information

Arawhata Surf Guide

Arawhata in Taranaki is an exposed reef break that has reasonably consistent surf. Spring and Summer provide the best conditions. The best wind direction is from the northeast and there is no shelter here from cross shore breezes. Surfable in an onshore breeze Groundswells are more common than windswells and the ideal swell angle is from the southwest. No reef break here. Good surf at all stages of the tide. A fairly popluar wave that can sometimes get crowded Watch out for rocks.

Arawhata Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Reef	4	fairly consistent	16.9°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Arawhata:

The best conditions reported for surf at Arawhata occur when a Southwest swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the Northeast.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

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

augustBest Season: winter

The best time of year for surfing Arawhata with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winter and most often the month of August. Clean surfable waves are typically found 24% of the time in August while 59% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 17% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

24%

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

blown out

59%

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

too small

17%

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

Explore Arawhata Location Map

Interactive Arawhata 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 Arawhata is New Plymouth Airport (NPL) in New Zealand, 56 km (35 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Arawhata is Wanganui Airport (WAG), also in New Zealand, 121 km (75 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.

Arawhata Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Tuesday, 5 May 2026, 09:19 Local Time

m, °C	Tuesday 05
ft, °F	9AM	12PM	3PM	6PM
Wave (m)	WSW	WSW	WSW	SW
Period (s)	12	13	12	14
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	cross- off	cross- off	cross	glass

Tides at Arawhata

Current tide and informaton

For Opunake Bay, New Zealand, 7 km from Arawhata.

Next High Water: 11:37am | 2.92m

Next Low Water: 05:51pm | 0.62m

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

Arawhata Sea Temperature

The water temperature (16.9 °C) at Arawhata is quite cool. If the sun does come out as forecast, it should feel warm enough to surf in a good sealed spring wetsuit. Some surfers would prefer to wear gloves and boots too. Effective windchill factor of (12.0 °C) will make the air and water feel about the same temperature.

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