Arawhata Surf Break

Arawhata Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Lat Long: 39.42° S 173.80° E

Issued: 11 am 03 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Arawhata sea temperature is
15.0° C

Slightly warmer than usual

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


Arawhata surf forecast from 3 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 5 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 10s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 6 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 16s period, W swell with 6,766 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 5 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 10s period with W 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 Sunday (Jul 05) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.5m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 15s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Arawhata in the next 16 days are 4.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 06) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 8s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 04) at 9PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 9PM (Sun 5th Jul)8ft (2.5m) 10s
Best Surf 9PM (Sun 5th Jul)8ft (2.5m) 10s
Most Powerful 6PM (Mon 6th Jul)13ft (4.0m) 16s

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


Updates in  hr  min  s Forecast update imminent

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Arawhata. It’s a reef setup that works best with a proper SW swell and loves a NE wind to keep it clean. It’s fairly consistent, but the crowds can pop up sometimes, so keep that in the back of your mind. The water’s sitting at 59°, which is pretty much what we’d expect for this time of year.

Honestly, the first week is a bit of a write-off for catching decent waves. We’ve got a long, quiet stretch here – from now through to Friday the 18th, there’s nothing really worth paddling out for. The swell sticks around the 1ft to 3ft mark for days, and the wind is all over the place – cross-off, cross, onshore... it’s just messy. The energy is weak too, with combined swell readings mostly under 1000, which is telling you there’s no grunt.

We finally see a big spike on Monday the 7th, with 12ft of WSW swell pushing through and a massive 5448 in the combined energy, with a clean offshore ENE wind. But that’s 12ft and a period of 14 seconds – that’s serious, heavy, expert-only stuff off a long-period groundswell. It’ll be clean and powerful, but not for the faint-hearted.

The rest of that week is all big numbers – Tuesday morning has 8ft from the WSW with a 15-second period and cross-off wind, still solid and clean, but again, it’s pulling energy in the 2000-3000 range. It’s not scrappy, it’s just too much for most. By Thursday and Friday the swell drops to 5ft but the period is 16 to 18 seconds, which is proper groundswell, but the wind goes cross-shore and it gets lumpy.

Now, the standout is the very last slot – Saturday the 18th. That’s the one to circle. In the morning we’ve got a glassy, flat sea with a 3ft W swell and a period of 10 seconds, and the combined energy is a modest 376. It’s not going to be big, but it’ll be clean as a whistle with a light NE breeze. The afternoon holds up with 3ft from the W and a gentle cross-off NNW wind. For a reef that needs clean conditions, this is your golden window. It’s not huge, it’s not a monster – but the quality will be there, the wind will be perfect, and it’ll be a gorgeous little session. Keep an eye on that Saturday morning.

For the rest of the 16 days, it’s a waiting game. The first big swells are all too wild or too cross. Stick with the glassy Saturday – that’s the one.

- Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 44mm), heaviest during Sat night. Very mild (max 14°C on Sun morning, min 10°C on Fri morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the N on Sat night, light winds from the ESE by Sun night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 32mm), heaviest during Mon morning. Very mild (max 12°C on Tue afternoon, min 9°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (moderate winds from the E on Mon night, near gales from the SSE by Wed afternoon).

Friday
3
Saturday
4
Sunday
5
Monday
6
Tuesday
7
Wednesday
8
Thursday
9
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
3
2
2
2
0
4
4
3
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
WSW
13
0.4
SW
13
0.4
SW
14
0.9
W
12
1.8
WNW
11
3.5
NW
10
2.5
NW
9
2.3
WNW
9
2.1
WSW
14
3.5
WSW
13
3.5
WSW
14
3
WSW
15
2.5
WSW
15
2.1
WSW
14
1.8
WSW
14
3.5
S
8
4
SSE
10
3.5
SSE
9
1.3
WSW
16
1.3
WSW
16
1
WSW
19
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
63
41
51
229
778
2923
1057
775
1704
3501
5289
4855
2563
1700
1222
1894
3110
2138
1003
811
679
Wind (km/h)
20
N
25
N
25
N
35
NNE
45
NNE
35
N
30
NW
20
WNW
25
ESE
45
SE
40
ENE
25
E
25
ESE
25
SE
45
SSE
40
SE
60
SSE
50
SE
50
SSE
45
SSE
40
SE
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
cross
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
High Tide
11:43AM3.02m
11:58PM3.19m
12:21PM2.97m
00:36AM3.13m
1:00PM2.91m
1:15AM3.05m
1:43PM2.84m
1:59AM2.97m
2:30PM2.77m
2:47AM2.88m
3:21PM2.72m
3:42AM2.82m
4:23PM2.71m
Low Tide
5:51PM0.58m
6:16AM0.65m
6:29PM0.62m
6:57AM0.66m
7:10PM0.69m
7:39AM0.68m
7:54PM0.76m
8:23AM0.71m
8:43PM0.84m
9:11AM0.75m
9:37PM0.90m
10:05AM0.79m
10:40PM0.93m
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
rain showers
rain showers
light rain
heavy rain
heavy rain
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
cloud
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:45
7:45
7:45
7:45
7:43
7:43
7:43
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:12
5:12
5:13
5:14
5:14
5:15
5:15
 mm
18
7
1
18
17
2
3
9
1
Temp °C
11
12
12
12
13
13
14
13
11
11
11
10
11
12
12
12
11
10
10
10
10
Feels °C
5
6
7
5
4
7
8
9
9
4
2
3
5
7
3
4
-1
-1
-1
0
1
Swell 1
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
WSW
13
0.4
SW
13
0.9
WNW
5
1
WNW
7
1.8
WNW
11
3.5
NW
10
0.8
WSW
18
1
W
10
2.1
WSW
14
3.5
WSW
13
1.1
SSE
8
3
WSW
15
2.5
WSW
15
2.1
WSW
14
1.8
WSW
14
1.1
WSW
13
1.3
WSW
13
0.9
SW
12
1.3
WSW
16
1.3
WSW
16
1.2
WSW
14
Energy kJ
63
41
42
105
778
2923
352
214
1704
3501
159
4855
2563
1700
1222
408
538
220
788
811
545
Swell 2
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.2
WSW
16
0.3
W
10
0.4
W
9
0.9
W
12
0.2
WSW
17
0.5
WSW
19
0.5
W
11
0.9
WSW
16
2.1
WNW
11
1.1
S
7
0.6
N
6
0.3
NNW
6
0.2
WSW
18
0.7
WSW
17
0.3
WSW
21
0.4
WSW
21
1
WSW
19
Energy kJ
26
19
27
229
28
210
62
376
972
131
26
7
33
264
89
176
679
Swell 3
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
SW
14
0.4
SW
13
0.1
W
22
0.5
SW
13
0.5
W
12
0.3
SSE
10
0.5
SW
7
Energy kJ
51
44
9
84
74
21
25
Wind waves
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.6
NNW
3
0.9
NNW
4
0.7
N
4
1.3
N
5
2.2
N
7
2.5
N
9
2.5
NW
9
2.3
WNW
9
1.6
SSE
6
3.5
WSW
14
1.3
N
5
1.2
SSE
6
2.1
SSE
7
2.4
SSE
8
3.5
S
8
4
SSE
10
3.5
SSE
9
2.5
SSE
8
2.5
SSE
8
2.1
SSE
7
Energy kJ
9
22
14
90
413
1051
1057
775
176
5289
97
103
363
763
1894
3110
2138
1003
785
456
Nearest Offshore or Glassy
Rating
(10 max)
1
1
1
1
3
1
3
2
4
5
4
6
4
4
4
3
4
3
4
4
4
Distance (km)
20
43
7
93
97
45
71
97
3
26
71
3
3
25
25
33
146
165
146
35
30
Best forecast wave conditions in Taranaki
Rating
(10 max)
1
1
1
1
4
3
4
4
6
4
6
6
5
5
4
4
4
4
4
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand
Rating
(10 max)
3
3
3
3
3
4
3
4
5
9
4
6
7
5
5
4
4
3
4
4
4
Header Global
Rating
(10 max)
9
5
9
5
6
8
5
9
7
5
9
9
8
6
5
9
9
9
5
5
6
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • 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 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.

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