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Surf Forecasts:
Farewell Spit surfForecast / Nelson – West Coast / New Zealand
48hr Weather and Surf, issued 11 pm Tuesday 19 May 2026 NZSTForecast update in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Farewell Spit surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.
Today's Farewell Spit sea temperature is
16.0° C
(Which is slightly warmer than usual)How big are the waves at Farewell Spit today?
The current surf forecast for Farewell Spit at 3AM is: 0.6m 14s primary swell from a West direction and 0.3m 2s secondary swell from a West-northwest direction (forecast issued at 11:00pm May 19). The wind direction is predicted to be cross-shore.
| Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height | Wave Period |
|---|---|---|
| Morning (20 May) | 2ft (0.6m) | 13s |
| Afternoon (20 May) | 1.5ft (0.5m) | 13s |
| Evening (20 May) | 1.5ft (0.5m) | 13s |
Table - waves today at Farewell Spit. (Swell directed towards the surf break)
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu afternoon, min 11°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NNW on Thu morning, calm by Fri afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 20 | Thursday 21 | Friday 22 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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 | 3 AM | 6 AM | 9 AM | 12 PM | 3 PM | 6 PM | |
Swell Height Map |  |    |    |    | ||||||||||||||||||||
W 14 | W 14 | W 14 | W 13 | W 13 | W 13 | W 13 | W 13 | W 13 | W 13 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | WNW 14 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 | |
199 | 199 | 138 | 127 | 125 | 85 | 87 | 85 | 84 | 52 | 102 | 210 | 240 | 261 | 316 | 326 | 302 | 390 | 400 | 422 | 300 | 284 | 220 | 171 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | glassy | |
High Tide | 00:02AM3.42m | 12:28PM3.19m | 00:55AM3.30m | 1:23PM3.02m | 1:51AM3.14m | 2:22PM2.84m | ||||||||||||||||||
Low Tide | 6:20AM0.11m | 6:40PM0.18m | 7:15AM0.24m | 7:35PM0.34m | 8:13AM0.40m | |||||||||||||||||||
 | | |  |  | | | | | | |  |  | | |  | | |  | |  |  | | | |
 | — | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | — | — |
 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5:15 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Temp °C | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 11 | |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 14 | W 14 | W 14 | W 13 | W 13 | W 13 | W 13 | W 13 | W 13 | W 13 | W 13 | W 12 | W 12 | W 12 | WNW 16 | WNW 15 | WNW 14 | WNW 13 | NNW 7 | WNW 12 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 |
 kJ | 199 | 199 | 138 | 127 | 125 | 85 | 87 | 85 | 84 | 52 | 51 | 47 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 85 | 265 | 390 | 186 | 422 | 300 | 284 | 220 | 171 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 21 | W 21 | — | — | W 20 | W 20 | W 20 | W 20 | W 21 | W 19 | W 19 | W 19 | W 19 | WNW 15 | W 12 | W 12 | W 18 | W 18 | WNW 12 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NW 10 | NW 10 |
| kJ | 9 | 9 | — | — | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 28 | 28 | 21 | 11 | 11 | 25 | 24 | 400 | 121 | 79 | 45 | 92 | 90 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 16 | W 18 | WNW 13 | W 18 | — | — | W 16 | W 16 | NW 10 | NW 10 | N 7 | N 7 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 26 | 16 | 25 | — | — | 21 | 46 | 100 | 79 | 32 | 32 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 2 | — | WNW 2 | — | WNW 3 | — | — | NNW 2 | N 4 | N 5 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | — | — | E 4 | E 5 | E 5 | ESE 4 |
| kJ | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 7 | 37 | 102 | 210 | 240 | 261 | 316 | 326 | 302 | 240 | — | — | 35 | 40 | 24 | 6 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 39 | 3 | 39 | 39 | 26 | 39 | 26 | 39 | 39 | 115 | 115 | 93 | 93 | 93 | 93 | 90 | 91 | 91 | 0 | 17 | 39 | 26 | 17 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Nelson - West Coast | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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