Surf Forecasts:
Kahutara surf forecast from 30 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 12s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 1 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 12s period, SSW swell with 4,881 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 12s period with SSW 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 3.0m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) 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 Friday (Sep 04) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Kahutara over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's break down the surf for the next couple of weeks.
Water temp is running about 52°F, which is pretty standard for this time of year.
We're starting off a bit slow. Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st are nothing to write home about. Sunday morning has a tiny 1ft swell from the SSW, but it's clean with a 12 mph offshore wind. The energy is weak at 98, so you'll be hunting for anything rideable. Monday sees a jump to 5ft from the S, but the wind is a stiff 22 mph cross-offshore, making it a real battle. The energy is up to 926, but it's a tough paddle and conditions are marginal.
Now, mark your calendar for Tuesday the 1st of September. The morning brings a solid 12ft swell from the SSW, with a moderate 9 mph cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is a massive 5335, which is a ton of power. That's big, expert-only stuff. If you're not absolutely dialed in, stay on the beach. This is the standout for the big-wave crew.
Wednesday the 2nd is still firing, but more manageable. We've got a 7ft swell from the S, with a 15-second period, and light offshore winds. The energy is 2107. This is excellent for experienced surfers wanting a solid, clean wave. The long period might make it a bit walled at the beach, but at Kahutara, a reef and point, it should be lining up nicely.
After that, the swell fades quickly. Thursday and Friday are pretty much flat and ugly. Saturday the 5th is tiny again. We get a little bump on Sunday the 6th of September, with a 3ft S swell and a 16-second period, giving us 511 energy and light winds. It's a promising option, but still small.
The middle of the second week is quiet, with a lot of small, poor surf. A slight spark appears on Wednesday the 9th, with a 4ft swell from the NE, but it's a short period of 6 seconds, so no real punch. Things get interesting again on Saturday the 12th of September, with an 8ft S swell and 1177 energy, but it's another big, marginal call for the experts. Sunday the 13th holds similar size.
So, the clear winner of this forecast is Tuesday the 1st of September morning, with that massive 12ft groundswell. A close second is the cleaner, more user-friendly 7ft swell on Wednesday the 2nd of September morning. Get on it if you've got the nerve.
This is Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun morning, min 5°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the W on Mon morning, light winds from the S by Tue morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Wed night, min 10°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed morning, strong winds from the W by Fri morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 13 | S 16 | S 16 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | S 12 | S 13 | S 15 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 | S 16 | S 9 | S 15 | S 15 | S 17 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 59 | 124 | 422 | 625 | 911 | 4881 | 3401 | 2254 | 1822 | 2107 | 1626 | 640 | 264 | 182 | 121 | 62 | 45 | 37 | 113 | 163 | 708 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 6:03PM1.94m | 6:32AM1.89m | 6:50PM1.94m | 7:21AM1.92m | 7:42PM1.93m | 8:12AM1.96m | 8:38PM1.92m | 9:04AM1.99m | 9:35PM1.91m | 9:58AM2.01m | 10:31PM1.91m | 10:54AM2.02m | 11:26PM1.92m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:55AM0.46m | 00:24AM0.48m | 12:39PM0.46m | 1:08AM0.48m | 1:26PM0.48m | 1:55AM0.49m | 2:18PM0.51m | 2:46AM0.50m | 3:16PM0.54m | 3:43AM0.50m | 4:16PM0.54m | 4:41AM0.49m | 5:18PM0.52m | ||||||||
 | |  | |  |  | | | |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — |
 | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 13 |
Feels °C | 11 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 10 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | S 16 | S 16 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 13 | S 15 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 15 | S 15 | S 17 |
| kJ | 59 | 124 | 422 | 625 | 911 | 2482 | 1934 | 2254 | 1822 | 2107 | 1626 | 640 | 264 | 182 | 121 | 62 | 40 | 37 | 113 | 163 | 708 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 9 | SE 12 | S 8 | S 16 | NE 8 | — | — | — | NE 11 | NE 11 | NE 10 | NE 6 | NE 5 | SE 11 | ENE 4 | NE 6 | S 16 | S 15 | SSW 8 | NE 5 | NE 11 |
| kJ | 17 | 22 | 69 | 301 | 3 | — | — | — | 5 | 5 | 4 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 45 | 18 | 22 | 1 | 4 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 12 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 7 | SE 11 | — | — | — | ENE 11 | — | — | SE 12 | SE 11 | NE 10 | SE 11 | S 16 | NE 5 | SE 11 | NE 6 | S 8 | E 11 |
| kJ | 22 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 5 | — | — | — | 12 | — | — | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 21 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 5 | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 2 | W 3 | — | W 3 | W 4 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | — | — | — | — | NNE 7 | SSW 3 | NE 4 | — | W 4 | W 4 | N 6 | NW 4 | W 4 | — |
| kJ | 1 | 7 | — | 4 | 27 | 4881 | 3401 | — | — | — | — | 70 | 1 | 12 | — | 33 | 27 | 1 | 8 | 9 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 43 | 80 | 0 | 81 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 121 | 33 | 0 | 43 | 19 | 11 | 0 | 33 | 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.
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