Christmas Bay 48 hour detailed Surf Forecast

Lat Long: 40.91° S 176.21° E

Issued: 5 am 16 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in hr min

Today's Christmas Bay sea temperature is

12.7° C

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

Surf Forecasts:

How big are the waves at Christmas Bay today (16 Jul):

Morning surf: Morning surf (16 Jul, local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 15s period with ESE swell.
Afternoon surf: Afternoon surf (16 Jul, local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 16s period with ESE swell.
Evening surf: Evening surf (16 Jul, local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 16s period with ESE swell.

The current surf forecast for Christmas Bay at 9AM is: 0.6m 15s primary swell from a East-southeast direction and 0.2m 17s secondary swell from a South direction (forecast issued at 05:00am July 16). An open ocean swell of 0.6m 3s is not directed at the surf break. The wind direction is predicted to be offshore.

Time (NZST) & Date	Wave Height	Wave Period
Morning (16 Jul)	2ft (0.6m)	15s
Afternoon (16 Jul)	2.5ft (0.8m)	16s
Evening (16 Jul)	3.5ft (1.0m)	16s

Table - waves today at Christmas Bay. (Swell directed towards the surf break)

	Short Range Forecast Mostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu morning, min 8°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Thu morning, calm by Thu night).
	Thursday 16							Friday 17								Saturday 18								Sun 19
	3 AM	6 AM	9 AM	12 PM	3 PM	6 PM	9 PM	12 AM	3 AM	6 AM	9 AM	12 PM	3 PM	6 PM	9 PM	12 AM	3 AM	6 AM	9 AM	12 PM	3 PM	6 PM	9 PM	12 AM
Rating (10 max)	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	3	3	3	3	4	3	4	4	4	2	2	3	4	5	5	4	4
Swell Height Map See all maps
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s)	E 13	ESE 14	ESE 15	ESE 15	ESE 16	ESE 16	ESE 16	ESE 16	ESE 16	ESE 16	ESE 16	ESE 16	S 15	SSW 15	ESE 15	ESE 15	ESE 15	ESE 14	ESE 14	SSW 23	S 22	S 21	S 20	S 19
Wave Graph
kJ	89	143	167	174	298	427	512	635	778	892	892	933	1200	869	829	818	807	691	682	1895	4129	4160	3442	3038
Wind (km/h)	WNW	NW	NW	W	SSW	SSW	SSW	WNW	NNW	WNW	WNW	WNW	NW	NW	WNW	NW	NNW	NW	NW	WNW	WNW	WNW	W	WSW
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy	off	off	off	cross-off	cross	cross	cross	glassy	glassy	off	off	off	cross-off	off	off	cross-off	cross-off	cross-off	off	off	off	off	cross-off	cross-off
High Tide			6:14AM1.35m				6:35PM1.54m				7:12AM1.34m				7:34PM1.50m				8:09AM1.35m				8:32PM1.44m
Low Tide	00:07AM-0.03m				12:20PM-0.09m				1:08AM-0.04m				1:19PM-0.10m				2:05AM-0.04m				2:17PM-0.08m


	—	7:35	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	7:35	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	7:33	—	—	—	—	—	7:33
	—	—	—	—	5:06	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	5:07	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	5:07	—	—	5:08
mm	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Temp °C	13	13	14	15	13	11	11	10	9	10	9	12	13	11	10	9	9	9	11	12	12	11	10	10
Feels °C	7	8	8	11	9	8	9	9	8	8	6	9	9	7	7	6	5	4	6	7	8	7	7	8
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s)	E 13	ESE 14	ESE 15	ESE 15	ESE 16	ESE 16	ESE 16	ESE 16	ESE 16	ESE 16	ESE 16	S 10	S 15	SSW 15	ESE 15	ESE 15	ESE 15	ESE 14	ESE 14	SSW 23	S 22	S 21	S 20	S 19
kJ	89	143	167	174	298	427	512	635	778	892	892	400	1200	869	829	818	807	691	682	1895	4129	4160	3442	3038
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s)	SSW 17	SSW 17	S 17	SSW 17	SSW 16	S 4	S 4	S 7	S 7	S 8	S 10	ESE 16	ESE 16	ESE 15	SSW 14	SSW 14	S 12	SSW 12	SSW 11	ESE 14	ESE 14	ESE 14	ESE 14	ESE 13
kJ	30	30	24	29	25	13	9	38	70	127	313	933	909	851	724	571	418	349	314	663	586	493	486	479
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s)	SW 14	SW 14	SSW 14	—	E 11	SSW 16	SSW 16	SSW 16	SSW 15	SSW 15	SSW 15	SSW 15	—	—	—	—	—	S 19	SSW 25	SSW 10	—	—	—	—
kJ	8	8	19	—	2	24	24	47	45	43	74	174	—	—	—	—	—	30	208	180	—	—	—	—
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s)	NW 3	WNW 3	WNW 3	W 3	SW 4	—	S 5	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	NNW 3	NNW 3	NNW 3	—	—	—	—	—
kJ	4	5	6	8	4	—	21	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	3	6	10	—	—	—	—	—
Nearest Offshore or Glassy	Whareama Wairarapa	Castlepoint - Slippery Wairarapa	Pourere Beach Wairarapa	Castlepoint - Slippery Wairarapa	Porangahau River Mouth Wairarapa	Castlepoint Beach Wairarapa	Castlepoint Beach Wairarapa	Christmas Bay Wairarapa	Christmas Bay Wairarapa	Christmas Bay Wairarapa	Christmas Bay Wairarapa	Christmas Bay Wairarapa	Castlepoint - Slippery Wairarapa	Christmas Bay Wairarapa	Christmas Bay Wairarapa	Christmas Bay Wairarapa	Whareama Wairarapa	Riversdale Wairarapa	Christmas Bay Wairarapa	Christmas Bay Wairarapa	Christmas Bay Wairarapa	Christmas Bay Wairarapa	Christmas Bay Wairarapa	Christmas Bay Wairarapa
Rating (10 max)	1	1	2	2	2	2	2	3	3	3	3	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	4	5	5	4	4
Distance (km)	15	5	75	5	67	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	5	0	0	0	15	24	0	0	0	0	0	0
Best forecast wave conditions in The Wairarapa	Whareama	Whareama	Blackhead	Castlepoint - Slippery	Blackhead	Blackhead	Tora Point	Ning Nong Point and Reef	Blackhead	Ning Nong Point and Reef	Ning Nong Point and Reef	Ning Nong Point and Reef	Ning Nong Point and Reef	Ning Nong Point and Reef	Ning Nong Point and Reef	Ning Nong Point and Reef	Ning Nong Point and Reef	Ning Nong Point and Reef	Ning Nong Point and Reef	Seconds (White Rock)	Seconds (White Rock)	Seconds (White Rock)	Seconds (White Rock)	Gnarlies
Rating (10 max)	1	1	2	2	2	3	3	3	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	8	9	8	7	6
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand	Shingles West Coast South Island	Wainui Reef Wanganui-Manawatu	Shipwreck Bay-Supertubes Northland	Makorori Centre Gisborne and Mahia	Diners Beach Gisborne and Mahia	Makorori Centre Gisborne and Mahia	Blaketown Wedge West Coast South Island	Otago Peninsula - Pipikaretu Otago	Otago Peninsula - Papanui Beach Otago	Otago Peninsula - Pipikaretu Otago	Otago Peninsula - Pipikaretu Otago	Otago Peninsula - Papanui Beach Otago	Otago Peninsula - Papanui Beach Otago	Papatowai Catlins	Papatowai Catlins	Otago Peninsula - Papanui Beach Otago	Blaketown Wedge West Coast South Island	Blaketown Wedge West Coast South Island	Blaketown Wedge West Coast South Island	Seconds (White Rock) Wairarapa	Papatowai Catlins	Papatowai Catlins	Papatowai Catlins	Papatowai Catlins
Rating (10 max)	5	3	4	2	3	3	4	4	5	4	4	5	5	8	9	8	4	4	4	8	9	9	9	7
Header Global	Shingles New Zealand	Shipstern Bluff Australia	Hell South Africa	Gerickes Point South Africa	Boneyards South Africa	Boneyards South Africa	Dunedin - Cob Cottage New Zealand	Easter Reef Australia	Otago Peninsula - Allans Beach New Zealand	Lebu Chile	Easter Reef Australia	Dunedin - Bobs Beach New Zealand	Easter Reef Australia	Papatowai New Zealand	Papatowai New Zealand	Otago Peninsula - Allans Beach New Zealand	Dunedin - Kuri Bush New Zealand	Dunedin - Cob Cottage New Zealand	Dunedin - Kuri Bush New Zealand	Seconds (White Rock) New Zealand	Papatowai New Zealand	Papatowai New Zealand	Papatowai New Zealand	Papatowai New Zealand
Rating (10 max)	5	5	5	5	5	5	7	5	5	6	6	9	6	8	9	8	7	6	6	8	9	9	9	7

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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Ben Mondy

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Christmas Bay 48 hour detailed Surf Forecast

How big are the waves at Christmas Bay today (16 Jul):

Short Range Forecast

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