
Surf Forecasts:
Karekare surf forecast from 11 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 15 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 16s period, WSW swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 15 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 16s period, WSW swell with 5,006 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 11 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 14s period with SW 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 Saturday (Jul 11) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 1.8m and 14s. 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 3.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Sat 11th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 3PM (Wed 15th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Wed 15th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Karekare over the next 16 days.
G’day, Rusty here. Alright, we’ve got a solid run of swell on the cards for Karekare, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to conditions. The water temp is sitting at 58.6°, which is pretty much spot on average for this time of year. The combined swell energy is strong across the weekend, hitting values like 2338 and 2146 – there’s plenty of juice out there.
Let’s start with this Saturday morning, 11 July. Karekare is pulling in a 6.2 ft swell from the SW with a period of 15 seconds – that’s proper groundswell, long and powerful. Wind is light from the SE at 6 mph, which is cross-offshore and will keep things clean. Water temp is normal for the season. The energy is strong at 2338. This is a great window for experienced surfers; the long period means it’ll be well-shaped but watch for bigger sets. Crowds are only sometimes an issue here, so you might get a few out. The morning is standout – glassy and clean with decent size.
Saturday afternoon holds steady: 5.6 ft from the SW, 14-second period, and a slight SSE air at 3 mph keeping it clean. Energy drops a little to 2146 but it’s still solid. Good, manageable size for intermediates who are keen.
Sunday 12 July morning sees a step up: 7.2 ft from the SW, 16-second period, and ENE winds at 6 mph blowing offshore – clean surf. Energy is 2291. This is another excellent session for experienced crew. The afternoon gets glassy with 6.6 ft from the WSW, 15-second period, and light E winds at 3 mph turning it glassy – pure magic.
Monday 13 July morning drops a bit to 4.9 ft from the WSW, 14-second period, but NE winds at 9 mph cross-offshore keep it clean. Energy is 951 – moderate. Still very good surf, just smaller. By afternoon, the wind picks up from the NNE at 12 mph, cross-off, dropping the swell to 4.3 ft and energy to 635 – marginal, but still rideable.
Tuesday 14 July is messy. Morning has 5.6 ft from the WNW but the period drops to 8 seconds – short period junk – and NNW winds at 9 mph are cross-onshore, making it choppy. Energy is 587. Not worth it. Afternoon is even worse: 2.6 ft, onshore W wind at 6 mph, and only 562 energy. Skip it.
Wednesday 15 July morning is intriguing: 5.2 ft from the WSW with a massive 18-second period – very long groundswell – and light N winds at 6 mph, cross-shore. Energy jumps to 2577. This is powerful and clean, but that long period means it’ll be better for a point or reef setup. Karekare is a beach break, so it might close out or get shifty. Still, for the patient surfer, there’ll be gems. The afternoon is a beast: 9.8 ft from the WSW, 16-second period, but NW winds are cross-onshore. Energy is 4372 – very strong. This is expert territory; too big for most.
Thursday 16 July morning is glassy but pumping 9.8 ft from the WSW, 15-second period, ENE wind at 3 mph – glassy and clean – but 9.8 ft is only for experts. Energy is 4060. The afternoon is still big at 8.2 ft with onshore WNW wind, tricky.
Friday 17 July and Saturday 18 July are poor. Cross-onshore SW winds at 9-16 mph, 7.2 ft to 9.8 ft, and energy still high (2008 to 3213), but the wind ruins it. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
Sunday 19 July sees a huge 11.5 ft SW swell with a 17-second period and offshore ENE wind at 3 mph in the morning – glassy and clean, but only for experts. Energy is a massive 7798. The afternoon is still 9.8 ft and glassy. Again, expert-only.
Monday 20 July is where it comes back for the rest of us: 7.2 ft from the WSW, 14-second period, and E winds at
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 14°C on Mon morning, min 8°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue afternoon, min 11°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WNW 8 | WSW 13 | W 13 | WSW 18 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1753 | 1203 | 2475 | 2291 | 1907 | 1409 | 947 | 626 | 313 | 310 | 206 | 835 | 1644 | 4372 | 4462 | 4060 | 3283 | 2355 | 2379 | 1997 | 1831 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 7:12PM2.89m | 7:40AM2.88m | 8:16PM3.04m | 8:43AM2.99m | 9:14PM3.17m | 9:40AM3.11m | 10:09PM3.28m | 10:33AM3.19m | 10:59PM3.34m | 11:23AM3.24m | 11:47PM3.36m | 12:10PM3.24m | 00:32AM3.32m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:57PM0.65m | 1:36AM0.65m | 2:03PM0.57m | 2:40AM0.53m | 3:05PM0.47m | 3:39AM0.40m | 4:02PM0.37m | 4:32AM0.29m | 4:53PM0.30m | 5:21AM0.22m | 5:40PM0.27m | 6:06AM0.21m | 6:25PM0.29m | ||||||||
7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | |
— | 5:21 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:23 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 10 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 |
Feels °C | 7 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 13 | W 12 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 |
1753 | 1203 | 2475 | 2291 | 1907 | 1409 | 947 | 626 | 313 | 310 | 196 | 835 | 926 | 4372 | 4462 | 4060 | 3283 | 2355 | 2379 | 1997 | 1831 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 20 | SW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 24 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 18 | WSW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 24 | SW 21 |
552 | 915 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | 229 | 206 | 283 | 1644 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | 18 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | SSW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 22 | WSW 20 | WSW 23 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
33 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 48 | 160 | 53 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 3 | NNW 4 | NW 6 | — | — | NW 3 | NW 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 9 | 114 | — | — | 3 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 49 | 77 | 77 | 101 | 6 | 193 | 6 | 6 | 129 | 6 | 49 | 77 | 49 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Auckland | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










