Surf Forecasts:
Kahutara surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 15s period, S swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 15s period, S swell with 1,881 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 11s 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 Friday (Aug 21) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Kahutara in the next 16 days are 2.1m 15s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 7s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Fri 21st Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Kahutara over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s coming up at Kahutara.
The outlook kicks off from August 21st. The opening few days are quiet and a bit messy, but there are some real solid windows further ahead. The water temp here is sitting at 50°F, which is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual there.
First up, Friday the 21st morning has 4ft southerly swell but the wind is a light cross from the NNE, so it’s not clean enough to get excited about. Afternoon gets smaller and choppier. Saturday the 22nd starts to look a little better with a clean, small 3ft southerly swell and a light offshore from the west. It’s small, but clean. The afternoon holds similar but drops a touch more.
Sunday the 23rd guns it with a strong WNW offshore wind at 28 mph, but the swell is tiny at 1ft and from the ESE. Hard to paddle into and hardly breaking – skip it.
Now, the highlight of the whole forecast: Monday the 24th morning. This is the standout. Kahutara sees a 7ft S swell with a period of 14 seconds, light NNW cross-off wind, and the combined energy is ripping at 1654. Clean, solid, and for experienced surfers only – this is a real session. The afternoon holds 5ft but the wind shifts cross and it gets a bit scratchy.
Tuesday 25th settles down to 2ft and a 16 second period – super long period groundswell. It’ll be clean but the waves will be straighter at a reef and point setup like this, so it will still offer some lines. Wednesday 26th stays small and clean.
Thursday 27th morning sees 5ft S swell with a long 17 second period, but easterly onshore wind and light rain spoil the surface. Energy is high at 1307, but the quality takes a hit. Afternoon picks up to 6ft but gets cross-on choppy.
Friday 28th returns to cleaner conditions with 4ft and light cross-off breeze. Saturday 29th has a nice glassy 3ft in the afternoon and a calm wind – perfect for a longboard or a quiet paddle.
Through the start of the second week there’s a run of small to moderate swell. Monday August 31st sees 4ft S groundswell building to 5ft, but cross-on winds keep it frustrating. Tuesday September 1st is a gem: glassy 3ft S swell with a 15 second period, then a clean cross-off in the afternoon. This is a solid call for a mid-week paddle if you can get out.
Wednesday 2nd gets cross and rainy, not ideal. Thursday 3rd shows a jump to 8ft on the morning energy at 2027, but a moderate cross-off and onshore influences keep it from being pristine. This one is for the experts only. Friday 4th early has a glassy 4ft – great little window before the onshore winds kick in.
Closing out the forecast, Saturday September 5th has tiny 3ft and glassy conditions, but it’s really just a fun summer-style small wave day.
So the standout best on offer? No question – Monday August 24th morning. That 7ft, clean, long period south swell with light offshore airs is the one to circle. The second best is Tuesday September 1st morning with that glassy and clean 3ft groundswell. Crowds are described as “sometimes” at Kahutara, so there could be a handful of others out, but nothing too hectic. Everything else in the forecast is for the keen locals waiting out the flat spells.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat afternoon, min 8°C on Fri morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNW on Sat morning, strong winds from the WNW by Sun morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Wed night. Very mild (max 17°C on Tue morning, min 8°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | 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 14 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | S 17 | S 14 | S 12 | S 10 | S 16 | S 15 | S 16 | S 15 | S 15 | S 15 | S 17 | S 16 | S 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
561 | 287 | 192 | 182 | 136 | 71 | 34 | 34 | 52 | 1620 | 710 | 242 | 179 | 113 | 179 | 233 | 161 | 517 | 1266 | 1456 | 690 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:17AM1.91m | 11:42PM1.81m | 12:06PM1.88m | 00:29AM1.78m | 12:56PM1.86m | 1:17AM1.76m | 1:45PM1.85m | 2:06AM1.76m | 2:32PM1.85m | 2:52AM1.77m | 3:17PM1.87m | 3:36AM1.79m | 3:59PM1.88m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:41PM0.73m | 5:52AM0.70m | 6:32PM0.74m | 6:36AM0.72m | 7:19PM0.73m | 7:21AM0.70m | 8:03PM0.71m | 8:08AM0.67m | 8:46PM0.67m | 8:57AM0.62m | 9:30PM0.63m | 9:46AM0.57m | 10:14PM0.58m | ||||||||
7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | |
— | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | 6 | — | — |
Temp °C | 11 | 12 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
Feels °C | 8 | 9 | 7 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | NE 6 | ESE 13 | S 17 | S 14 | S 12 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | S 16 | S 15 | S 15 | S 15 | S 17 | S 16 | S 13 |
561 | 287 | 192 | 182 | 136 | 71 | 26 | 34 | 52 | 1620 | 710 | 242 | 116 | 81 | 179 | 233 | 161 | 517 | 1266 | 1456 | 690 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 9 | ESE 10 | NE 5 | ENE 4 | NE 8 | NE 7 | SSE 9 | NE 6 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 14 | S 16 | S 16 | S 15 | S 9 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | SE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ENE 6 |
27 | 30 | 13 | 2 | 10 | 43 | 29 | 5 | 34 | 34 | 39 | 122 | 179 | 113 | 24 | 20 | 36 | 27 | 16 | 14 | 48 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | E 9 | E 14 | ESE 13 | SSE 9 | S 8 | NE 8 | — | NE 6 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 14 | — | ESE 14 | NNE 5 | ESE 13 | — | E 16 |
15 | 13 | 18 | 10 | 2 | 14 | 34 | 8 | 5 | 2 | — | 11 | 37 | 18 | 19 | — | 18 | 2 | 16 | — | 5 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 2 | NE 4 | — | — | NNE 8 | NNE 7 | — | WSW 4 | W 4 | — | NE 4 | — | NNE 4 | W 4 | WNW 3 | NNW 3 | SSE 4 | ESE 4 | ENE 3 | NE 5 | NNE 5 |
2 | 15 | — | — | 42 | 140 | — | 25 | 12 | — | 5 | — | 7 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 80 | 51 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 11 | 121 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 70 | 19 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 121 | 23 | 155 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Kaikoura and Marlborough | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











