Surf Forecasts:
Arawhata surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 26 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 14s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 15s period, WSW swell with 9,007 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 26 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 14s 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 Wednesday (Aug 26) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 2.2m and 6s. 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 4.5m 15s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.3m 7s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 15ft (4.5m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Arawhata over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright mates, Rusty here, and I’ve been looking at the charts for Arawhata. This is a reef break that loves a good SW groundswell, and we’ve got plenty on the way, but the wind is going to be the main character for a while.
Right now, the water temp is about 57°, which is normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The first real window is Thursday morning, August 20th. We’ve got a clean 6ft swell from the WSW, with a 14-second period giving it some serious push. The wind is a light cross-off from the NNW, which is a dream setup for this reef. The combined energy is pumping in at 1173 (moderate wave energy), and it’s for experienced surfers only. This is the standout session, but it’s a bit too big for beginners.
After that, things get messy. Thursday afternoon turns into a cross-on, choppy affair, and Friday through the weekend is a write-off with strong winds and lumpy, poor-quality surf. Sunday the 23rd sees a massive 15ft swell from the WNW, but the wind is howling at 25 mph crossshore, making it a total mess. That’s for kites, not paddles.
We’ve got a dry spell until the early morning of Thursday, August 27th. The swell drops to 8ft, but the wind is still a stiff 19 mph cross-off from the NNW. The surf is clean, but it’s a marginal call because of the wind strength. The energy is still strong at 1956.
The next real highlight is Saturday morning, August 29th. The swell is 8ft from the WNW with a shorter 9-second period, but the wind is a gentle cross-off from the east. This is another one for the experienced crew, and the energy is pumping at 1773. The conditions will be clean and lined up. This is the best on offer for the second week.
Sunday the 30th also has a cool little window. The swell is a smaller 4ft, but the period jumps to a very long 17 seconds, which is proper groundswell. The wind is a light cross-off from the ENE in the morning, and then turns offshore from the NE in the afternoon. The energy is still moderate at 1201 and 1066, and the offshore wind will make it glassy. This is a sleeper pick for the experienced crew on a longer board.
The rest of the run into early September is small and inconsistent, with a few glimmers of glassy conditions on the 3rd, but the swell is short-period and weak. The last day, September 4th, is a choppy mess with strong onshore winds, so don't bother.
For the best of the best, I’m calling Thursday morning the 20th as the standout, with Saturday morning the 29th coming in as a close second. Don't sleep on that Sunday the 30th afternoon either if you want a quiet, clean session.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat night, min 11°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the W on Thu night, strong winds from the NW by Sat night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Sun afternoon, min 12°C on Sun afternoon). Mainly fresh winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | ||||||||||||||
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 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WNW 10 | W 10 | WSW 11 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 955 | 756 | 711 | 530 | 347 | 253 | 198 | 775 | 2409 | 1955 | 3792 | 9007 | 6377 | 4723 | 3553 | 1504 | 1758 | 1665 | 845 | 1172 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:15AM2.47m | 3:54PM2.46m | 4:34AM2.38m | 5:25PM2.44m | 5:55AM2.39m | 6:37PM2.54m | 7:00AM2.50m | 7:29PM2.69m | 7:52AM2.65m | 8:12PM2.86m | 8:35AM2.81m | 8:50PM3.03m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:09PM1.12m | 9:30AM1.08m | 10:18PM1.24m | 10:48AM1.18m | 11:46PM1.24m | 12:15PM1.14m | 00:58AM1.12m | 1:18PM0.99m | 1:48AM0.95m | 2:06PM0.81m | 2:28AM0.76m | 2:45PM0.62m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | | |  |  | | | |  | |  | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — |
 | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
Feels °C | 10 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 16 | WSW 18 | — | — | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 |
| kJ | 955 | 756 | 711 | 530 | 347 | 253 | 198 | 633 | 211 | 180 | — | — | 6377 | 4723 | 1413 | 1504 | 1758 | 1665 | 845 | 1172 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | S 8 | S 7 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | WSW 19 | — | WSW 15 | — | — | S 15 | — | S 10 | S 9 | S 8 | — | W 21 | WSW 19 |
| kJ | 6 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 142 | — | 86 | — | — | 39 | — | 8 | 6 | 1 | — | 9 | 72 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 18 | S 17 | S 16 | — | — | S 11 | S 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 6 | 6 | 5 | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 5 | W 5 | WSW 5 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | NW 5 | NW 7 | WNW 10 | W 10 | WSW 11 | WSW 15 | — | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 7 | W 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | NW 7 |
| kJ | — | 31 | 27 | 42 | 160 | 121 | 106 | 775 | 2409 | 1955 | 3792 | 9007 | — | 4180 | 3553 | 301 | 229 | 229 | 274 | 289 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 97 | 60 | 60 | 221 | 97 | 97 | 272 | 265 | 275 | 275 | 272 | 195 | 221 | 60 | 97 | 210 | 97 | 97 | 209 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Taranaki | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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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