Surf Forecasts:
Kahutara surf forecast from 15 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 14s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 12s period, S swell with 5,870 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 17 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 16s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Kahutara this week:
The surf forecast for Kahutara over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 1.6m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Kahutara in the next 16 days are 4.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 4s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Mon 17th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 15ft (4.5m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Kahutara over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s talk Kahutara. It’s a bit of a rollercoaster over the next couple of weeks, but there are some real rippers if you time it right.
First off, Sunday the 16th is a no-go – windy, messy, and not worth the effort. Monday the 17th morning is where it starts to get interesting. You’ve got a clean 5ft swell from the SE, with a light offshore breeze out of the W. The water temp is about normal for this time of year. It’s a nice little beginner-friendly wave on the reef and point.
The big standout is Wednesday the 19th afternoon. This is the session to aim for. A solid 10ft swell from the S, with a long 14-second period, and clean cross-off wind from the SW. The combined wave energy is pumping hard at 6269 (moderate to strong energy). This is a big, powerful swell – over 8ft – so it’s for experienced surfers only. The long period will make the waves grind nicely along the point, and crowds are possible, so get in early.
Thursday the 20th morning is a glassy gem. No wind, a 5ft SSE swell, and the surface is like a mirror. Perfect for a more relaxed paddle. Friday the 21st morning is another cracker – glassy again, with a 5ft S swell riding a very long 16-second period. The wave energy is strong at 1124, and the conditions are excellent for experienced surfers. The long period means long waits but great shape on the point.
After that, it goes quiet for a bit. The weekend of the 23rd and 24th is small and weak. The 25th morning has a glassy 4ft windswell, but it’s short-period with hardly any energy. Then the 26th sees a big 10ft jump, but with onshore breeze and chop, it’s a messy one.
The last real highlight is Thursday the 27th morning. Glassy, with a 7ft S swell at 9 seconds. Clean and punchy, with solid energy (763). It’s over 5ft, so keep it for the more experienced crew. The 28th morning also looks good – 6ft from the S with clean cross-off wind.
There’s a few flat days in the middle of the run, but the good windows are worth waiting for. Best bets: Wednesday the 19th afternoon for the big stuff, and Friday the 21st morning for the glassy, long-period beauties.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 18mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 11°C on Tue morning, min 3°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon afternoon, fresh winds from the SW by Tue afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 11°C on Wed afternoon, min 6°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | ||||||||||||||
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) | S 6 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | S 15 | E 10 | SSW 9 | S 10 | S 12 | S 15 | S 14 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 10 | S 10 | S 16 | S 15 | S 12 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 324 | 680 | 725 | 691 | 239 | 343 | 204 | 1431 | 1979 | 5870 | 3799 | 3709 | 639 | 409 | 487 | 332 | 1087 | 819 | 306 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 7:04AM2.01m | 7:25PM2.02m | 8:00AM2.00m | 8:21PM1.97m | 8:52AM1.99m | 9:15PM1.92m | 9:42AM1.97m | 10:06PM1.88m | 10:30AM1.94m | 10:55PM1.84m | 11:17AM1.91m | 11:42PM1.81m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:53AM0.33m | 1:12PM0.33m | 1:43AM0.38m | 2:05PM0.43m | 2:33AM0.44m | 2:59PM0.54m | 3:24AM0.52m | 3:53PM0.62m | 4:15AM0.60m | 4:48PM0.69m | 5:05AM0.67m | 5:41PM0.73m | |||||||
 |  |  |  |  | |  | | | |  | |  | | | | | | | |
 | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — |
mm | 13 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 10 |
Feels °C | 2 | -1 | -1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 9 | S 16 | S 16 | SSE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | E 10 | S 9 | E 10 | S 12 | S 15 | S 14 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 10 | S 10 | S 16 | S 15 | S 12 |
| kJ | 58 | 181 | 264 | 441 | 239 | 169 | 204 | 841 | 48 | 4085 | 3799 | 2542 | 639 | 409 | 487 | 332 | 1087 | 819 | 306 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | S 16 | E 9 | E 10 | SE 9 | E 10 | SE 13 | E 10 | SE 13 | ESE 14 | SE 12 | SE 11 | ESE 13 | S 15 | SE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 |
| kJ | 264 | 50 | 72 | 326 | 113 | 192 | 135 | 96 | 43 | 16 | 44 | 18 | 37 | 32 | 17 | 116 | 37 | 24 | 11 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | E 8 | — | SE 10 | SSW 7 | S 15 | S 14 | SE 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 11 | SE 12 | NE 10 | — | E 17 |
| kJ | 16 | 12 | — | 96 | 57 | 343 | 198 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 37 | 4 | — | 6 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SSW 7 | — | WSW 3 | SSW 9 | S 10 | S 12 | W 4 | S 14 | — | — | E 2 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 324 | 680 | 725 | 691 | 96 | — | 3 | 1431 | 1979 | 5870 | 10 | 3709 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 172 | 135 | 172 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 106 | 183 | 43 | 19 | 54 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Kaikoura and Marlborough | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
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 Kahutara 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 Kahutara Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Kahutara provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Kahutara can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Kahutara 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 (Kahutara) 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 Kahutara 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.
Kahutara is 106 km (66 miles) from the city of Blenheim. If you plan a holiday in Kaikoura and Marlborough, look for hotels and other accommodation in Blenheim. Blenheim has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
Nearest