Karekare Surf Break

Lat Long: 37.00° S 174.48° E

Karekare Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 29 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Karekare sea temperature is
14.1°C
0.0° 

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


Karekare surf forecast from 29 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 2 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period, WSW swell with onshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 1 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 14s period, WSW swell with 8,847 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 2 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s 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 (Sep 02) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 18s. The wind is predicted to be onshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Karekare in the next 16 days are 4.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6PM (Wed 2nd Sep)10ft (3.0m) 13s
Best Surf 6PM (Wed 2nd Sep)10ft (3.0m) 13s
Most Powerful 6AM (Tue 1st Sep)15ft (4.5m) 14s

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


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here, and I’m looking at a pretty frustrating run ahead for Karekare. The good news is, the water temp is sitting at about 57° right now, which is spot on average for this time of year, so no surprises there. The bad news is, for the next week and a half, it’s mostly a write-off unless you’re a hardcore big-wave charger with no plans.

We do get a tiny window this Saturday morning, 29 August. It’s only a 3ft WSW swell with a period of 13 seconds – that’s a nice groundswell – and the wind is glassy out of the ENE at just 3 mph. The combined swell energy is moderate (566). Honestly, it’s the cleanest session we’ll see for ages, but it’s small and won’t have much push. Saturday afternoon holds similar, with a 3ft swell and clean offshore E wind, but again, nothing to get the heart racing.

Then comes the real slog. From Sunday morning 30 August right through to Friday 11 September, it’s all about huge, messy, onshore slop. Sunday morning we’ve got 8ft SW swell, but it’s short-period (8 seconds) and smacked by a 19 mph cross-on SW wind. The combined swell energy jumps to strong (1521), and the comment says “poor surf conditions” – and it is. That trend continues for days: swell sizes from 8ft to a massive 16ft, with brutal cross-onshore winds between 16 and 25 mph. By Monday 31 August, the swell energy is tipping into very strong territory (6396 to 7919), but the wind is either cross-on or onshore, and the quality is absolutely trashed. Tuesday 1 September sees a 16ft SW swell with 22 mph cross-on wind – that’s expert-only territory anyway, but with those conditions, it’s just a washing machine. This stretch is not for paddle surfing; with that much wind and size, it’d be more interesting for kiteboarding than anything else.

We finally get a reprieve early on Monday 7 September. The morning session shows a 8ft WSW swell, 15-second period, and a light cross-off SSE breeze at just 6 mph. The combined energy is very strong (5044), but the comment calls it “exceptional surf conditions for expert surfers” – that’s a serious nod. The wind is clean, the period is long, but for a beach break like Karekare, a 15-second period groundswell can sometimes break a bit too straight. Still, for experienced crew, that Monday morning looks like the standout of the entire forecast. The afternoon glass off on Monday 7 has a 12ft swell with 17-second period and glassy N wind – that’s a huge, clean wall, but it’s also too big for most. The combined energy there is massive (6978).

After that, Tuesday 8 September and Saturday 12 September have solid 13ft swells with more favourable cross or gentle winds, but the swell size keeps them out of reach for anyone but the seasoned big-wave hunters. By Sunday 13 September, we’re back into messy cross-onshore slop.

So, overall: the first recommendation is this Saturday morning 29 August for a small, glassy clean-up, and the true standout is Monday 7 September morning – but only if you’re expert level. The gap between decent surf is basically a full week of terrible conditions. Not much to get excited about, but that Monday morning window is genuinely promising for the right surfer. Keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 20mm), heaviest during Sat morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat morning, min 12°C on Sat afternoon). Winds increasing (calm on Sat morning, strong winds from the WSW by Mon night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu morning, min 12°C on Tue afternoon). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WSW on Tue morning, light winds from the W by Wed afternoon).

Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
Tuesday
1
Wednesday
2
Thursday
3
Friday
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)
3
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
!
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1
WSW
13
0.9
WSW
13
2.2
SW
11
2.5
SW
8
3
SW
8
3.5
SW
9
4.5
SW
13
4.5
SW
14
4.5
WSW
14
4.5
WSW
14
5
SW
14
4
SW
13
3.5
WSW
13
3
WSW
13
3
WSW
13
2.5
WSW
14
3
WSW
14
2.5
W
11
2.3
WSW
14
3
WSW
14
3
WSW
15
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
346
277
1170
796
1065
2157
6396
7919
7639
8797
8519
6153
4107
3233
3162
2747
3119
1509
2060
3295
4392
Wind (km/h)
5
ENE
5
E
35
SSW
30
SW
35
SW
35
WSW
30
SW
30
W
40
W
40
WSW
35
SW
30
SW
25
WSW
25
WSW
25
W
20
WNW
25
NW
25
NW
30
NW
20
W
10
SW
Wind State
glassy
off
cross
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
High Tide
10:41AM2.99m
10:58PM3.14m
11:20AM3.03m
11:36PM3.14m
11:58AM3.02m
00:13AM3.08m
12:37PM2.97m
00:52AM2.98m
1:17PM2.88m
1:32AM2.84m
2:02PM2.77m
2:20AM2.68m
2:58PM2.66m
Low Tide
4:54PM0.29m
5:16AM0.22m
5:32PM0.27m
5:54AM0.21m
6:10PM0.30m
6:32AM0.25m
6:51PM0.39m
7:12AM0.34m
7:34PM0.51m
7:56AM0.46m
8:23PM0.65m
8:47AM0.59m
9:21PM0.79m
mod rain
mod rain
rain showers
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:48
6:46
6:45
6:43
6:41
6:39
6:39
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:58
5:59
6:00
6:00
6:01
6:01
6:02
 mm
9
9
2
1
3
1
1
Temp °C
14
13
13
14
14
14
14
14
13
13
13
13
13
14
14
15
14
15
16
15
14
Feels °C
14
13
6
7
7
8
8
8
6
5
6
6
7
9
10
11
9
11
12
12
12
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
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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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