Snow-ForecastSnow-ForecastMountain-ForecastMountain-ForecastTide-ForecastTide-ForecastWeather-ForecastWeather-Forecast
Search by country, region, or break
Search by country, region, or break

Quick Links

Surf Forecasts:

Desperation Point surfForecast / Taranaki / New Zealand

information circle16 Day Weather and Surf, issued 12 am Friday 20 Mar 2026 NZDT
Forecast update in hr  min  s Forecast update imminent
Desperation Point surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.
Today's Desperation Point sea temperature is
18.1° C
 (Which is normal for this time of year)

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Desperation Point this week:

The surf forecast for Desperation Point over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Mar 21) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Desperation Point in the next 16 days are 2.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Mar 27) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 4.0m 12s period and expected on Friday (Mar 27) at 1AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)10PM (Sat 21st Mar)4ft (1.2m) 12s
Best Surf 4AM (Sun 22nd Mar)3.5ft (1.1m) 13s
Most Powerful 4AM (Fri 27th Mar)8ft (2.5m) 12s

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

Updates in  hr  min  s Forecast update imminent 
16 DaysHourly
Print Table

Short Range Forecast Mostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu night, min 13°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSE on Fri afternoon, light winds from the SSE by Sun morning).

Days 3-6 Weather Summary Mostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue morning, min 15°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Friday
20
Saturday
21
Sunday
22
Monday
23
Tuesday
24
Wednesday
25
Thu
26
NightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPM
Rating
(10 max)
0
1
0
1
1
0
2
2
2
3
3
2
3
3
0
2
1
2
2
3
3
Swell
Height Map
See all maps
Wave Height (m) & direction (?)
1
WSW
1.1
SW
1
WSW
1.8
SSE
1.1
SW
1.1
SW
1.2
WSW
1.3
WSW
1.2
SW
1.2
WSW
1.1
SW
1.3
WSW
1.4
WSW
1.3
WSW
1.2
WSW
0.9
WSW
0.7
SW
0.7
SW
0.9
WSW
1.1
SW
1.4
NW
Period(s) (?)11111171312131413141314141413131212151413
Wave
Graph
(?)Metric surfscale
Energy kJ (?)247288251312376341430607509501394682710607451277149144358463623
Wind
(km/h)
25
SE
20
SE
30
SSE
30
SE
25
SE
20
SSE
15
SE
5
SSE
10
SW
15
ESE
5
ESE
5
SW
5
N
10
N
10
WNW
10
ESE
5
ESE
5
WSW
10
ENE
15
ENE
15
ENE
Wind State (?)
onshore
cross-onshore
cross-shore
cross-offshore
offshore
glassy
cross-
off		cross-
off		cross-
off		cross-
off		cross-
off		crosscross-
off		crosscross-
on		cross-
off		glasscross-
on		glasscross-
off		cross-
on		cross-
off		glassglassoffoffoff
High Tide
/ height (m)
11:09PM
3.32
11:22AM
3.47
11:46PM
3.40
12:00PM
3.47
12:24AM
3.39
12:40PM
3.38
1:06AM
3.30
1:24PM
3.21
1:52AM
3.14
2:16PM
2.99
2:48AM
2.93
3:22PM
2.77
4:03AM
2.75
4:47PM
2.62
Low Tide
/ height (m)
5:17AM
0.07
5:38PM
0.02
5:56AM
0.08
6:18PM
0.06
6:37AM
0.18
7:01PM
0.19
7:23AM
0.35
7:46PM
0.39
8:14AM
0.58
8:37PM
0.63
9:15AM
0.81
9:38PM
0.87
10:28AM
0.98
Friday
20
Saturday
21
Sunday
22
Monday
23
Tuesday
24
Wednesday
25
Thu
26
Sunrise-7:26--7:26--7:28--7:28--7:30--7:31--7:31-
Sunset--7:37--7:36--7:34--7:31--7:30--7:29--7:28
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
cloud
light rain
rain showers
Rain (mm)
-------------------511
Temp. °C171717151616151717151817181918171717181516
Feels °C (?)131312101111121516141717181817171717171313
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder

Latest Updates

Surf-Forecast Premium Launches 16-day Forecast and New, Improved Modelling
Ben Mondy

Surf-Forecast Premium Launches 16-day Forecast and New, Improved Modelling

Get 16% off your subscription with code 16DAYS—available for 16 days only, until March 25, 2026. Surf-Forecast Premium just got better. All paid subscribers will now see a full 16-day forecast, surf reports and wind and tide data for over 7,000 of the world's best surf spots. Premium members will also have access to a new high-resolution forecast model, which enhances our current forecasts by making them quicker and more accurate. That’s more lead time. More confidence. More chances to score g

Save Up to 20% on SIXT Rental Cars Worldwide – Exclusive Surf-Forecast Deal
travel
Surf Forecast

Save Up to 20% on SIXT Rental Cars Worldwide – Exclusive Surf-Forecast Deal

Surf road trips just got even better. Surf-Forecast users can now save up to 20% on SIXT rental cars worldwide during the promotional period until March 31, 2026. Whether you’re planning a legendary California road trip, chasing waves along Europe’s coasts, or exploring remote surf destinations, this exclusive SIXT offer helps you travel smarter and cheaper. And if you want some inspiration on where to go, check out our article Five Iconic Surf Road Trips. Click and get your SIXT discount

Read more

Read more

Discover more articles and updates in the Greenroom.

submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Desperation Point:

join our community of surf reporters

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 Desperation Point 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.

View detailed surf forecast for Desperation Point at:
surf-forecast.com

Information about the Desperation Point Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Desperation Point provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Desperation Point can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Desperation Point 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 (Desperation Point) 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 Desperation Point 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 Desperation Point, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Taranaki, consider staying in New Plymouth which is 52 km (32 miles) away.

Nearest locationNearest
Nearest locationNearest
Nearest locationNearest