
Surf Forecasts:
Arawhata surf forecast from 4 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 11 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 18s period, WSW swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 11 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 18s period, WSW swell with 17,993 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 7 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 15s period with WSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Arawhata this week:
The surf forecast for Arawhata over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.2m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 10s. Another secondary swell of 2.3m and 8s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Arawhata in the next 16 days are 5.5m 18s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 11) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 8s period and expected on Monday (Sep 07) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 7ft (2.2m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Fri 11th Sep) | 16ft (5.0m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Fri 11th Sep) | 18ft (5.5m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Arawhata over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what the ocean's got in store for us at Arawhata.
Right off the bat, we've got a bit of a wait on our hands. The start of the outlook is a bit ugly, so don't bother paddling out just yet. The first real glimmer of something decent won't be until Monday the 7th.
We're looking at a solid, long-period groundswell from the WSW, but the wind is a major issue for the first few days. Saturday the 5th is a write-off with strong cross-onshore winds and a messy 13ft swell. The energy is huge (10789), but it's just a washing machine. Sunday the 6th cleans up a bit with cross-offshore winds, but the swell is still a chunky 12ft and the conditions are only rated as marginal. Hold off.
Now, let's talk about the real standout. Monday morning, September 7th is when it gets interesting. The swell drops to a powerful 7ft from the WSW, with a very long period of 15 seconds. This is proper groundswell energy (2866) and the wind swings to a gentle offshore from the NE. That means clean, peeling lines. This is a reef break, so that long period swell will really shine here, offering up some beautiful, well-shaped waves. The water is around 57°, which is about normal for this time of year. This is the best session on offer for experienced surfers, as 7ft is a bit much for the beginners.
The rest of that week is a bit of a mixed bag. Tuesday the 8th gets smaller and the wind messes it up again. Wednesday morning the 9th sees a tiny 4ft swell with clean conditions, but it's a shadow of what Monday was. The energy is weak (447). The weekend of the 12th and 13th brings another massive pulse of swell, but it's accompanied by howling onshore winds, making it completely unsurfable. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
Then, we get another promising window. Monday the 14th of September has a 13ft WSW swell with a 15-second period, and the wind is a gentle cross-onshore from the SSE. The energy is high (6742), and while it's not perfect, it's a much better option than the stormy weekend. The following Saturday, the 19th, looks like a real sleeper. A massive 18ft swell from the WSW is forecast, but with a moderate cross-offshore wind from the ESE. That's a clean, offshore wind for a break this size, offering some incredibly heavy, powerful waves. The energy is massive (8005). This one is a long way out, so it's promising but not certain, but it has the potential to be the best of the whole two-week period.
So, to sum it up: the standout is Monday morning, the 7th of September, for the clean conditions and solid groundswell. The second potential hero is Saturday the 19th, but it's a long way off. Between those, there are a lot of windy, stormy days to sift through.
Stay stoked,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 23mm), heaviest during Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun night, min 10°C on Mon night). Mainly strong winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Wed morning, min 9°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNW on Wed morning, strong winds from the SW by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 15 | WSW 16 | W 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 9 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 19 | WSW 18 | WSW 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
5693 | 4783 | 5459 | 5933 | 5875 | 3309 | 2179 | 1435 | 712 | 787 | 545 | 623 | 305 | 207 | 1045 | 531 | 788 | 4619 | 6115 | 16581 | 9088 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 3:45PM2.68m | 4:27AM2.63m | 5:23PM2.71m | 5:54AM2.68m | 6:39PM2.87m | 7:05AM2.82m | 7:38PM3.08m | 8:03AM3.00m | 8:28PM3.26m | 8:52AM3.17m | 9:13PM3.39m | 9:36AM3.28m | 9:54PM3.44m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:17AM0.95m | 10:10PM1.05m | 10:45AM1.03m | 11:40PM1.00m | 12:15PM0.92m | 00:56AM0.81m | 1:23PM0.70m | 1:54AM0.56m | 2:17PM0.46m | 2:43AM0.34m | 3:03PM0.27m | 3:26AM0.19m | 3:45PM0.15m | ||||||||
6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | |
— | 6:05 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:09 | — | |
mm | — | — | 2 | — | — | 7 | 7 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
Feels °C | 8 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 15 | WSW 16 | W 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | NW 9 | NW 10 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 9 | WSW 11 | WSW 11 | WSW 16 | WSW 20 | WSW 19 | — | — |
5693 | 4783 | 5459 | 5933 | 5875 | 3309 | 2179 | 687 | 255 | 396 | 486 | 623 | 305 | 207 | 1045 | 531 | 788 | 865 | 6115 | — | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 10 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | WSW 18 | WSW 17 | WSW 11 | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 18 | 1435 | 712 | 787 | 545 | 197 | 82 | 77 | 184 | 264 | 143 | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 5 | WNW 10 | SSE 6 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | W 9 | W 14 | SE 8 | S 7 | WSW 22 | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 276 | 44 | 35 | 22 | 60 | 184 | 2 | 1 | 47 | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 14 | NW 8 | WSW 15 | NW 8 | NW 6 | NW 7 | NW 8 | SSE 5 | SSE 7 | — | — | — | — | — | NW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WSW 15 | WSW 10 | WSW 18 | WSW 12 |
5096 | 238 | 4485 | 35 | 301 | 696 | 669 | 9 | 271 | — | — | — | — | — | 17 | 145 | 497 | 4619 | 2815 | 16581 | 9088 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 262 | 262 | 97 | 97 | 97 | 97 | 0 | 22 | 25 | 30 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 97 | 97 | 97 | 202 | 190 | 221 | 215 | 221 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Taranaki | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Arawhata Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Arawhata provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Arawhata can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Arawhata 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 (Arawhata) 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 Arawhata 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 Taranaki? If you are looking for accommodation near Arawhata, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Taranaki, consider staying in New Plymouth which is 49 km (30 miles) away.










