Surf Forecasts:
Napier - Hardings Road surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 5s period, NE swell with 32 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Napier - Hardings Road this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Napier - Hardings Road in the next 16 days are 0.9m 5s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 9PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Napier - Hardings Road over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right then, the forecast is looking grim for the next couple of weeks. We're looking at a proper flat spell here, so don't be expecting much of a wave for quite a while. It's one of those runs where you might be better off checking the webcams or doing something else entirely.
Let's start with Saturday the 22nd of August. There's almost nothing there – a tiny 0.3ft bump of a wave, but it's from the east and there's hardly any energy (4). The wind goes glassy in the afternoon which is a total tease. The water temp is about what you'd expect for the time of year, nothing to write home about. Napier - Hardings Road is a sheltered point, so it rarely picks up much, and this is a classic example of it being inconsistent.
The whole thing runs dry for days. Sunday the 23rd has a bit of a bump from the north-northeast, but it's tiny (2ft) with no energy (13) and onshore winds messing it up. After that, through the rest of August and into the start of September, the numbers are all zeroes and ones. There are days with clear skies and light winds, but the swell just isn't there. We're looking at a solid gap of very little to nothing.
Even when we get to the beginning of September, it's the same old story. A few 0.3ft slivers from the east with period around 10-11 seconds, but the combined energy is laughably low – single digits (2, 3, 6). Too small and gutless to even bother paddling out for.
Towards the end of the run, say Thursday the 3rd of September and Friday the 4th, we get some clean offshore winds (southwest and south-southwest), but again, the swell is absent. There's a tiny 0.3ft blip, but with no wave to groom, offshore wind is just a waste. The best of the whole period, and I say this with a heavy heart, might be that glassy 2ft from the east on the 22nd afternoon, or the glassy 1ft from the northeast on the 30th of August. But neither is worth a trip.
Honestly, if you're a surfer, the board stays in the van. The setup looks way more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, if you're into that sort of thing. It's a blank run for Napier, and that's just how it goes sometimes. Forecasts can change, but for now, it's a hard pass.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun morning, min 6°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat afternoon, fresh winds from the WSW by Sun afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | ||||||||||||||
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) | E 3 | SSE 12 | E 14 | ESE 13 | NNE 4 | NE 5 | NE 5 | ESE 13 | SSE 14 | SSE 16 | NE 4 | ESE 13 | NE 4 | NNW 3 | SE 4 | SSE 17 | E 4 | E 4 | ENE 5 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 12 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-off |
High Tide | 00:30AM1.55m | 1:01PM1.56m | 1:17AM1.49m | 1:51PM1.52m | 2:05AM1.43m | 2:38PM1.50m | 2:53AM1.38m | 3:23PM1.47m | 3:41AM1.36m | 4:08PM1.47m | 4:28AM1.36m | 4:54PM1.48m | |||||||
Low Tide | 6:44AM0.43m | 7:15PM0.45m | 7:30AM0.44m | 8:05PM0.46m | 8:18AM0.44m | 8:52PM0.45m | 9:06AM0.42m | 9:38PM0.41m | 9:55AM0.39m | 10:24PM0.37m | 10:43AM0.34m | 11:10PM0.32m | |||||||
 |  | | |  | | | | | | | |  | | | |  | | | |
 | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 10 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 18 | 19 | 15 |
Feels °C | 8 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 5 | 11 | 13 | 8 | 14 | 13 | 8 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | SSE 11 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | NE 5 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | SSE 14 | SSE 16 | SSE 14 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 5 | SE 7 | SSE 7 | ENE 5 |
| kJ | 37 | 8 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 6 | 16 | 16 | 21 | 26 | 20 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 8 | 13 | 5 | 12 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 16 | SSE 12 | ESE 9 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | ESE 13 | NE 5 | S 9 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | SSE 11 | SE 10 | S 10 | S 18 | SSE 17 | E 4 | SSE 17 | SE 8 |
| kJ | 50 | 13 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 57 | 1 | 28 | 9 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 3 | — | E 14 | — | — | SE 10 | SE 9 | — | SE 5 | SSE 7 | NE 4 | — | NE 4 | S 18 | — | ESE 12 | SSE 17 | SE 11 | SSE 17 |
| kJ | 1 | — | 4 | — | — | 4 | 3 | — | 1 | 4 | 1 | — | 1 | 7 | — | 14 | 29 | 5 | 29 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | NNE 4 | NW 2 | WNW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 3 | SE 4 | — | — | E 4 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 13 | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 5 | — | — | 10 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 14 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 26 | 16 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 90 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Hawkes Bay | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Napier - Hardings Road Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Napier - Hardings Road provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Napier - Hardings Road can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Napier - Hardings Road 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 (Napier - Hardings Road) 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 Napier - Hardings Road 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.
Napier - Hardings Road is 6 km (4 miles) from the city of Napier. If you plan a holiday in Hawkes Bay, look for hotels and other accommodation in Napier. Napier has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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