Karekare Surf Break

Lat Long: 37.00° S 174.48° E

Karekare Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 am 29 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Karekare sea temperature is
14.2° C
0.4° 

Karekare surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Karekare surf forecast from 29 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 1 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 13s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 1 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 14s period, WSW swell with 9,189 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 29 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 11s period with WSW swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Karekare this week:

The surf forecast for Karekare over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 16s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Karekare in the next 16 days are 5.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 01) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 3PM (Wed 29th Jul)4.5ft (1.3m) 11s
Best Surf 9PM (Sat 1st Aug)13ft (4.0m) 13s
Most Powerful 3AM (Sat 1st Aug)16ft (5.0m) 14s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Karekare over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag coming up, but there are some real gems to aim for if you’re patient. The main player is Karekare, which is an exposed spot, so it catches most of the action. Right now, the water’s sitting at 58°F, which is basically bang on average for this time of year. Not a shocker.

The first proper surf worth paddling out for hits on Wednesday the 29th of July. It’s a clean morning with a 5ft swell from the WSW, and a light ENE cross-off breeze. The combined energy is moderate (481). It’s not massive, but it’s clean, and the light wind means the surface will be glassy. That afternoon the swell drops a touch to 4ft, but the energy bumps up a bit (560) and the wind is still light. It’s a solid, cruisy session.

The real standout of the whole run is Thursday morning, the 30th of July. That’s the one you want to block out time for. Swell jumps to 7ft from the WSW, with a 14-second period – that’s proper groundswell. The energy is strong (1446), and the wind is light and cross-off. This is excellent quality for experienced surfers, but at 7ft, it’s getting a bit chunky for learners. The water is still clean, and the longer period will mean nice, lined-up waves with good gaps between sets. Thursday afternoon goes a bit sketchy as the wind swings NW and gets stronger, so nab the morning.

From Friday onward, things get messy. We’ve got a run of big, windy, poor conditions. Friday the 31st has onshore winds up to 22 mph and a 10ft windswell – that’s a washing machine, not surf. Saturday the 1st of August is even bigger, with a 16ft swell and strong onshore winds. The energy numbers are through the roof (9051), but it’s blown out and dangerous. That’s for experts only, and even then, it’s not pretty. The setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Sunday the 2nd of August calms down a bit, but it’s still cross-shore winds with a 8ft swell and a moderate chop. It’s a marginal call.

The next decent window appears on Monday morning, the 3rd of August. A long-period 20-second groundswell rolls in at 4ft, but it’s from the WSW again. The wind is light cross-on, and the energy is high (2103). It’s a bit of a tease, though, because the afternoon turns poor again.

After a few more rough days, things start to look promising again around Wednesday the 12th of August. The morning is clean with a 4ft swell, but the afternoon is the real highlight: a 4ft swell from the WSW with a 21-second period, light SSE breeze, and clean conditions. The energy is strong (1642). This is excellent for experienced surfers. The long period will favour the point and reef setups, so it won’t break too straight.

Then Thursday morning the 13th of August is a beauty. Offshore ESE wind at just 6 mph, a 5ft groundswell from the WSW with a 17-second period, and strong energy (1720). That’s clean, glassy, and lined up. A proper session.

So, the bottom line: if you can only pick one session, Thursday the 30th of July morning is the pick of the first week. For the second week, target Wednesday the 12th of August afternoon and Thursday the 13th of August morning. The long-range stuff is promising but less certain, so keep an eye on the forecasts.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Thu night. Very mild (max 14°C on Wed afternoon, min 8°C on Wed morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNE on Wed afternoon, fresh winds from the W by Fri afternoon).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Sat morning, min 8°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the S on Sat afternoon, light winds from the SSW by Mon morning).

Wednesday
29
Thursday
30
Friday
31
Saturday
1
Sunday
2
Monday
3
Tuesday
4
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
3
4
4
1
2
0
0
0
0
0
!
2
1
2
2
0
0
0
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.4
WSW
11
1.3
WSW
11
1.9
WSW
14
2
WSW
14
1.7
WSW
14
1.2
WSW
13
2.5
W
10
3
W
9
4.5
WSW
14
4.5
WSW
14
5
WSW
14
3.5
WSW
13
2.5
SW
11
2.2
SW
10
1.8
SW
9
1.3
WSW
20
1.6
SW
19
2
WSW
17
3.5
SW
16
3
SW
16
2.5
SW
14
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
450
389
1447
1411
1126
472
1160
1487
9173
8155
9051
3559
1638
1066
528
1281
1751
2406
5401
4765
2883
Wind (km/h)
10
ENE
10
NNE
15
NNE
10
N
20
NW
25
NNW
30
W
35
W
30
WNW
20
WSW
30
SW
30
S
25
S
25
SSW
20
SSW
10
SSW
25
SW
30
SW
25
SW
25
WSW
20
WSW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross
on
on
on
on
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
High Tide
9:47AM2.78m
10:07PM2.96m
10:26AM2.88m
10:45PM3.03m
11:04AM2.94m
11:22PM3.06m
11:42AM2.97m
11:59PM3.06m
12:20PM2.96m
00:36AM3.02m
12:59PM2.91m
1:14AM2.95m
1:40PM2.84m
1:55AM2.85m
Low Tide
4:04PM0.64m
4:28AM0.58m
4:41PM0.54m
5:04AM0.48m
5:18PM0.47m
5:40AM0.41m
5:55PM0.44m
6:17AM0.39m
6:33PM0.45m
6:55AM0.40m
7:12PM0.50m
7:35AM0.45m
7:55PM0.59m
clear
clear
clear
cloud
clear
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:22
7:22
7:20
7:20
7:20
7:18
7:18
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:32
5:34
5:35
5:36
5:37
5:37
5:37
 mm
9
2
1
3
1
1
1
2
1
7
Temp °C
12
14
12
14
14
13
14
13
13
13
11
9
10
11
11
13
13
13
13
14
13
Feels °C
9
11
9
10
10
8
8
6
7
6
4
0
3
5
5
8
7
7
8
9
11
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Information about the Karekare Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Karekare provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Karekare can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Karekare 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 (Karekare) 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 Karekare 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.

Karekare is 14 km (9 miles) from the city of Auckland. If you plan a holiday in Auckland, look for hotels and other accommodation in Auckland. Auckland has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.

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