Surf Forecasts:
Graveyards surf forecast from 17 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 19 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 17s period, WSW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 17s period, WSW swell with 6,033 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 17s period with WSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Graveyards this week:
The surf forecast for Graveyards over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 1.7m and 17s. Another secondary swell of 0.1m and 22s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-shore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Graveyards in the next 16 days are 3.0m 17s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) 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 1.0m 5s period and expected on Monday (Jul 20) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Graveyards over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s look at what’s on the horizon.
We’re starting with Graveyards, a reef break that’s very consistent and open to the NW swell. The water’s at 59°F, which is pretty normal for this time of year.
The first chance to get out is Sunday, July 19th. The morning is a bit rough with cross-shore wind and chop, so skip it. But Sunday afternoon, the wind turns cross-off and the surf cleans up. The swell is 7ft from the WSW with a very long period of 16 seconds, and the combined energy is strong at 3799. That’s a proper groundswell, and it’ll be reeling down the reef. It’s a solid intermediate wave, but with that size and period, beginners should stay on the beach.
Monday, July 20th is the one to circle. The morning sees a light easterly cross-off breeze at 10 km/h (6 mph), with the swell dropping to 6ft from the WSW, still a 14-second period. The combined energy is moderate at 1432, but the conditions are clean and the wave comment says it’s excellent for experienced surfers. The afternoon is just as good with a 6ft swell and the same clean setup. This is the best of the whole forecast – glassy, clean, and that reef is going to be singing.
Tuesday the 21st morning is a glassy gem: a 5 km/h (3 mph) NE breeze, swell at 4ft with a 13-second period, but the energy is low at 647. It’ll be fun on a fish or a groveler. The afternoon gets a bit of a cross-on wind, so lose that.
From Wednesday the 22nd, it turns ugly. The wind picks up and the swell gets messy. There’s a big spike on Saturday the 25th with a 10ft swell and 50 km/h (31 mph) winds – that’s a total washout, not for paddle surfing. The rest of the week into early August is mostly blown out with strong winds and chop. The only other glimmer is Thursday, August 1st, with a clean cross-off breeze and a 6ft swell, but it’s a long way off and the confidence is low.
Lock in Monday the 20th – that’s your wave.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Sat afternoon, min 12°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Tue night, min 9°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | ||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 2147 | 1693 | 1670 | 2705 | 2058 | 1982 | 1873 | 1283 | 1023 | 779 | 606 | 520 | 423 | 180 | 172 | 277 | 772 | 1217 | 554 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross | on | on |
High Tide | 00:10AM3.34m | 12:32PM3.06m | 00:54AM3.20m | 1:18PM2.92m | 1:38AM3.01m | 2:05PM2.77m | 2:24AM2.79m | 2:54PM2.61m | 3:14AM2.59m | 3:50PM2.47m | 4:10AM2.43m | 4:53PM2.39m | |||||||
Low Tide | 6:29AM0.08m | 6:44PM0.16m | 7:15AM0.21m | 7:30PM0.33m | 8:01AM0.37m | 8:18PM0.54m | 8:48AM0.55m | 9:09PM0.74m | 9:39AM0.72m | 10:06PM0.91m | 10:37AM0.85m | 11:10PM1.01m | |||||||
 |  | | |  |  | | |  |  | | | | | | | |  |  | |
 | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 4 |
Temp °C | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 |
Feels °C | 7 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 |
| kJ | 2147 | 1693 | 1670 | 2705 | 2058 | 1982 | 1873 | 1283 | 1023 | 779 | 606 | 520 | 423 | 180 | 123 | 277 | 772 | 1217 | 554 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 24 | S 23 | — | WSW 8 | S 5 | SSE 6 | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 4 | WSW 19 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | S 10 | — | W 6 |
| kJ | — | — | 11 | 10 | — | 331 | 11 | 34 | 9 | 14 | 2 | 35 | 57 | 51 | 87 | 85 | 2 | — | 66 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 23 | — | — | — | NNW 11 | N 10 | N 10 | N 10 | WSW 19 | NW 10 | N 5 | N 8 | N 8 | S 10 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 11 | — | — | — | 11 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 36 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | — | SSE 5 | — | SE 5 | SE 5 | — | N 5 | WSW 5 | WSW 6 | SW 6 | SW 6 | WSW 5 | W 6 | WNW 6 |
| kJ | 864 | 903 | 771 | 698 | 804 | — | 27 | — | 25 | 22 | — | 8 | 23 | 137 | 172 | 109 | 40 | 121 | 83 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 246 | 246 | 253 | 246 | 171 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 93 | 171 | 147 | 0 | 0 | 113 | 113 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Taranaki | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Graveyards 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 Graveyards Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Graveyards provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Graveyards can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Graveyards 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 (Graveyards) 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 Graveyards 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 Graveyards, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Taranaki, consider staying in New Plymouth which is 30 km (19 miles) away.
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