Karekare Surf Break

Lat Long: 37.00° S 174.48° E

Karekare Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 am 26 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Karekare sea temperature is
13.5°C
0.6° 

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


Karekare surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 3PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-onshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 31 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 10,893 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 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 Thursday (Aug 27) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 17s. 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 5.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 31) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 9AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6PM (Thu 27th Aug)6.5ft (2.0m) 13s
Best Surf 3PM (Tue 1st Sep)13ft (4.0m) 14s
Most Powerful 9AM (Mon 31st Aug)18ft (5.5m) 14s

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


The Lowdown

G'day, this is Rusty, and I've got the lowdown on Karekare. There's a bit of a wait before things start to clean up, so don't be in a hurry. The water temp sits at 56°F which is pretty much what you'd expect for this time of year, nothing weird going on there.

Right, so for the first week, from Wednesday 26 August right through to the middle of the following week, it's pretty ordinary. The swell is there, but the wind is a dirty cross-onshore for most of it, and the wave energy is moderate to strong (2378 to 10893), but the quality is poor. A lot of it is just too big and blown out. Thursday 27 August has a bit of size around 7 ft to 7 ft from the WSW with a decent 13-second period, but the wind is light cross-onshore, so it'll be lumpy. Honestly, it's not worth the paddle.

Skip ahead to Saturday 5 September morning. The swell is 10 ft from the WSW with a very long 16-second period, but the wind from the SSW is a light cross-onshore. The energy is hefty (5906). It's flagged as too big for the break – that's expert-only territory and only if the tide lines up, but the wind isn't helping. The following days stay oversized and choppy.

Now, for the real standout. Wednesday 9 September morning, things get interesting. Karekare (Auckland) will have a 7 ft swell from the SW with a 14-second period. The wind is from the NNE at 6 mph, coming cross-offshore. That's clean. The wave energy is moderate (1830). It's an excellent session for experienced surfers. Then Wednesday afternoon – glassy. The wind drops to nearly nothing from the S at only 3 mph, the swell drops a touch to 6 ft from the SW, and it's glassy. That's the pick of the period, a rare clean window at a spot that can be messy.

Thursday 10 September morning also looks promising with a 7 ft WSW swell, a very long 20-second period, and a clean cross-offshore breeze from the ENE. The energy is strong (3623). This is another excellent option for experienced surfers, though the swell is running long, so expect some lulls between sets.

To be honest, for the first ten days, it's a full-on write-off for a decent paddle. The best bet is to circle Wednesday 9 September on the calendar, because that glassy afternoon looks magic. The crowds can be an issue here sometimes, but if you're out there midweek, you might dodge the worst of it.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sat morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Sat morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the NW on Sat morning, fresh winds from the WSW by Sun night).

Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
Tuesday
1
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
1
1
3
3
4
2
2
2
2
2
1
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)
2.5
WSW
14
2.5
WSW
14
2.3
WSW
14
2.1
WSW
13
2
WSW
13
1.9
WSW
12
1
WSW
14
1.1
WSW
14
2
WNW
9
1
WSW
13
2.1
WSW
12
2.1
WSW
11
2.1
WSW
9
3
WSW
8
5.5
SW
11
5.5
SW
14
4.5
SW
14
4.5
WSW
15
4
SW
14
4
SW
14
3.5
SW
14
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
2378
2689
2002
1497
1289
1085
425
494
629
346
1217
970
704
1003
7344
10893
8771
8360
6777
5107
3953
Wind (km/h)
15
WSW
15
W
15
WNW
10
NNW
5
WNW
15
NNE
20
NNE
10
N
20
NNW
5
NW
20
S
20
SW
30
SW
30
SW
30
WSW
35
WSW
30
WSW
35
WSW
25
SSW
20
SW
20
WSW
Wind State
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
High Tide
9:02PM2.83m
9:22AM2.76m
9:41PM2.98m
10:02AM2.90m
10:20PM3.08m
10:41AM2.99m
10:58PM3.14m
11:20AM3.03m
11:36PM3.14m
11:58AM3.02m
00:13AM3.08m
12:37PM2.97m
00:52AM2.98m
Low Tide
2:59PM0.68m
3:26AM0.58m
3:39PM0.51m
4:03AM0.41m
4:16PM0.37m
4:39AM0.29m
4:54PM0.29m
5:16AM0.22m
5:32PM0.27m
5:54AM0.21m
6:10PM0.30m
6:32AM0.25m
6:51PM0.39m
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
light rain
mod rain
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:52
6:50
6:48
6:48
6:46
6:45
6:43
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:55
5:57
5:58
5:58
5:59
6:00
6:00
 mm
3
8
1
1
Temp °C
14
14
14
16
16
13
16
17
14
13
12
13
14
14
13
14
14
13
13
13
13
Feels °C
11
11
12
15
15
10
12
14
11
13
8
9
8
9
8
8
8
6
8
8
9
  • 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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