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Surf Forecasts:
Dinner Plates surfForecast / Catlins / New Zealand
16 Day Weather and Surf, issued 5 am Tuesday 19 May 2026 NZSTForecast update in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Dinner Plates surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.
Today's Dinner Plates sea temperature is
12.8° C
(Which is 2.3°C warmer than normal for this time of year)Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Dinner Plates this week:
The surf forecast for Dinner Plates over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (May 19) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Dinner Plates in the next 16 days are 4.0m 13s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (May 23) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 5s period and expected on Saturday (May 23) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Tue 19th May) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Sun 24th May) | 10ft (3.0m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Sat 23rd May) | 13ft (4.0m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Dinner Plates over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Wed night, min 7°C on Tue morning). Winds increasing (calm on Tue morning, strong winds from the NNW by Wed night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Fri night. Very mild (max 11°C on Sat morning, min 7°C on Fri morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Fri night, light winds from the NE by Sun afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 19 | Wednesday 20 | Thursday 21 | Friday 22 | Saturday 23 | Sunday 24 | Monday 25 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SW 7 | SW 11 | SSW 12 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 7 | |
251 | 144 | 128 | 61 | 122 | 106 | 172 | 230 | 1635 | 1640 | 1495 | 976 | 2344 | 3587 | 3361 | 4166 | 3155 | 2065 | 1156 | 660 | 254 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
glassy | glassy | off | cross-off | glassy | off | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | |
High Tide | 4:16PM2.41m | 4:38AM2.27m | 5:15PM2.34m | 5:37AM2.21m | 6:15PM2.25m | 6:39AM2.14m | 7:18PM2.16m | 7:43AM2.07m | 8:21PM2.09m | 8:47AM2.03m | 9:22PM2.04m | 9:48AM2.00m | 10:18PM2.01m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:56AM0.03m | 10:32PM0.19m | 10:56AM0.08m | 11:32PM0.25m | 11:58AM0.14m | 00:35AM0.30m | 1:02PM0.21m | 1:37AM0.34m | 2:04PM0.26m | 2:37AM0.36m | 3:04PM0.30m | 3:34AM0.37m | 4:00PM0.34m | ||||||||
 | |  | | |  |  |  |  | | |  | | | | | | |  | |  | |
 | 8:03 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:06 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:08 | — | — | 8:10 | — | — |
 | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:09 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 21 | |
Temp °C | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 12 | 13 | 11 |
7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 11 | SSW 12 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SSE 10 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 |
 kJ | 251 | 144 | 128 | 61 | 53 | 106 | 172 | 147 | 1419 | 1640 | 1495 | 976 | 11 | 3183 | 3361 | 4166 | 3155 | 2065 | 1156 | 660 | 243 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | ENE 9 | SSW 20 | S 21 | SSW 19 | SW 11 | E 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | NE 8 | NE 7 | E 11 | — | SSW 22 | SSW 18 | WSW 15 | — | E 16 | E 15 | NE 4 | S 15 |
| kJ | 7 | 8 | 37 | 35 | 122 | 20 | 11 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | — | 91 | 1585 | 2348 | — | 19 | 39 | 6 | 157 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | SE 10 | E 9 | E 4 | E 10 | E 10 | S 12 | S 12 | E 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 11 | — | ENE 14 | S 11 |
| kJ | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | 68 | 88 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | ENE 3 | NE 3 | W 4 | SW 7 | SW 11 | — | NW 3 | WNW 5 | SW 12 | SW 13 | — | — | — | — | NNE 3 | NW 4 | SSW 7 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 27 | 230 | 1635 | — | 2 | 50 | 2344 | 3587 | — | — | — | — | 8 | 1 | 254 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 112 | 66 | 37 | 0 | 37 | 48 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 37 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Catlins | |||||||||||||||||||||
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 Dinner Plates 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 Dinner Plates Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Dinner Plates provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Dinner Plates can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Dinner Plates 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 (Dinner Plates) 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 Dinner Plates 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.
Ding Dangs is 2 km (1 miles) from the city of Mossel Bay. If you plan a holiday in Garden Route, look for hotels and other accommodation in Mossel Bay. Mossel Bay has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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