Hawai River Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(East Cape, New Zealand)

Forecast
- Hourly Forecast
- 16 Day Forecast
Maps
Live
Weather State
Spot Information

Hawai River Surf Guide

Hawai River in East Cape is an exposed point break that only works once in a while. The best conditions for surfing are during the cyclone season. The best wind direction is from the south southeast with some shelter here from east southeast winds. Surfable in an onshore breeze Most of the surf here comes from groundswells and the best swell direction is from the north. There is no point break. Sometimes crowded. Take care of rocks and locals.

Hawai River Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Point	3	inconsistent	18.2°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Hawai River:

The best conditions reported for surf at Hawai River occur when a North swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the South-southeast.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

What's the best time of year to surf Hawai River (for consistent clean waves)?

februaryBest Season: summer

The best time of year for surfing Hawai River with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Summer and most often the month of February. Clean surfable waves are typically found 18% of the time in February while 38% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 44% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

18%

Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.

blown out

38%

Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).

too small

44%

Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Hawai River Location Map

Interactive Hawai River surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The closest passenger airport to Hawai River is Whakatane Airport (WHK) in New Zealand, 54 km (34 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Hawai River is Gisborne Airport (GIS), also in New Zealand, 91 km (57 miles) away.

Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)

Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.

Hawai River Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Wednesday, 6 May 2026, 19:15 Local Time

m, °C	Wednesday 06			Thu
ft, °F	3PM	6PM	9PM	0AM
Wave (m)	NNE	NNE	NE	NE
Period (s)	6	6	6	7
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	cross- on	cross	cross	cross

What does Hawai River look like?

Latest photos from Hawai River. Upload your own or view all photos on the gallery page.

Credit: Eli marr brownless Credit: Eli marr brownless Credit: Eli marr brownless Credit: Eli marr brownless Credit: Rob Davies

Tides at Hawai River

Current tide and informaton

For Hawai River, 0 km from Hawai River.

Next High Water: 10:07pm | 1.65m

Next Low Water: 04:23am | 0.4m

NEXT	IS AT (local time)	remaining
high tide
low tide

Hawai River Sea Temperature

The water temperature (18.2 °C) at Hawai River is relatively warm. If the sun does come out as forecast, it should feel warm enough to surf in a summer wetsuit. Effective air temperature of 18.0 °C.

Today, many surfers would wear a summer wetsuit.

Current Temp*: 18.2°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite