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Surf Forecasts:
Cliffs surfForecast / Gisborne and Mahia / New Zealand
16 Day Weather and Surf, issued 5 am Monday 04 May 2026 NZSTForecast update in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Today's Cliffs sea temperature is
16.1° C
(Which is 1.2°C colder than average for this time of year)Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Cliffs this week:
The surf forecast for Cliffs over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (May 06) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.3m and 17s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Cliffs in the next 16 days are 0.8m 7s and forecast to arrive on Monday (May 11) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 8s period and expected on Saturday (May 09) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12PM (Wed 6th May) | 1ft (0.3m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Wed 6th May) | 1ft (0.3m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Mon 11th May) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Cliffs over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Warm (max 21°C on Thu afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 4 | Tuesday 5 | Wednesday 6 | Thursday 7 | Friday 8 | Saturday 9 | Sunday 10 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 16 | SSE 14 | SSE 16 | SSE 14 | SSE 14 | S 13 | S 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 15 | S 16 | SSW 7 | |
12 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 24 | 19 | 51 | 20 | 19 | 14 | 14 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 56 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross | |
High Tide | 7:54PM1.82m | 8:02AM1.74m | 8:36PM1.79m | 8:50AM1.71m | 9:20PM1.77m | 9:41AM1.70m | 10:09PM1.76m | 10:32AM1.69m | 10:59PM1.76m | 11:20AM1.70m | 11:50PM1.78m | 12:09PM1.70m | 00:39AM1.81m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:34PM0.54m | 2:07AM0.65m | 2:16PM0.60m | 2:54AM0.68m | 3:02PM0.67m | 3:42AM0.70m | 3:53PM0.72m | 4:31AM0.72m | 4:46PM0.76m | 5:23AM0.72m | 5:36PM0.76m | 6:14AM0.72m | 6:23PM0.74m | ||||||||
 | |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | | |  | |  | | | | | |
 | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — |
 | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:08 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | |
Temp °C | 15 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 17 | 20 | 21 | 17 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 15 |
14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 18 | 20 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 20 | 20 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 13 | |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | SSE 10 | ENE 8 | E 8 | E 8 | SSE 16 | SSE 14 | SSE 16 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 14 | ENE 13 |
 kJ | 3 | 11 | 14 | 6 | 6 | 24 | 19 | 51 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 22 | 26 | 15 | 16 | 36 | 56 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | E 6 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | SSE 14 | SSE 14 | S 13 | S 14 | S 14 | E 9 | E 9 | S 14 | S 13 | E 9 | E 13 | S 16 | S 6 |
| kJ | 12 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 16 | 20 | 19 | 14 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | E 9 | — | S 13 | S 13 | NE 4 | S 18 | S 18 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | S 14 | E 10 | S 14 | S 14 | — | — | S 13 | S 15 | — | SSE 15 |
| kJ | 1 | 2 | — | 3 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 25 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 2 | 4 | 4 | — | — | 3 | 4 | — | 21 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NE 4 | NNE 4 | — | NE 4 | — | NE 5 | — | NE 6 | NE 6 | ENE 6 | NE 6 | — | NE 6 | NE 7 | NE 8 | — | — | — | SSW 7 |
| kJ | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | 5 | — | 5 | — | 34 | 33 | 16 | 11 | — | 14 | 89 | 93 | — | — | — | 56 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 3 | 47 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 255 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gisborne and Mahia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Cliffs surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
Information about the Cliffs Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Cliffs provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Cliffs can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Cliffs 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 (Cliffs) 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 Cliffs 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 Gisborne and Mahia? If you are looking for accommodation near Cliffs, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Gisborne and Mahia, consider staying in Gisborne which is 6 km (4 miles) away.
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