
Surf Forecasts:
Karekare surf forecast from 5 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 6 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 9s period, NW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 6 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 17s period, W swell with 11,546 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 6 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 9s period with NW 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 Monday (Jul 06) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 4.0m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 2.5m and 13s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 21s is also forecast. 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 4.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 06) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 07) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Mon 6th Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Mon 6th Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Mon 6th Jul) | 15ft (4.5m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Karekare over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Alright, surfers, Rusty here. We’re looking at Karekare, and this one is a beast, but it’s not for the faint-hearted. The whole 16-day run is dominated by some serious size, with the combined swell energy hitting values like 5017 and even 10141 – that’s strong to very strong wave energy, no doubt about it.
The action kicks off Monday, July 6th. A massive 13.1ft NW swell rolls in with a 9-second period. The wind is a cross-off from the NNE at 19 mph, which should keep things clean, but honestly, this is way too big. It's rated as too big for this break, so unless you're an expert charger on a big-wave gun, you're better off watching from the cliff. The combined energy is a hefty 5017. The water temp is about average for this time of year.
Tuesday the 7th is the standout, the best on offer for the whole period. Wind turns offshore from the East, a solid 16 mph in the morning and 19 mph in the afternoon. That offshore wind is a magic ingredient, creating clean, peeling faces on the 9.8ft WSW groundswell with a 16-second period. The combined energy is still a massive 4969. This is proper, heavy, expert-only territory with a long, sweet period. Expect the waves to be powerful and lined up, though with that size and a long period, it might break a bit straight on the beach, so look for the deeper peaks.
Wednesday the 8th and Thursday the 9th are blown out with strong cross and cross-on winds. The swell is still huge, up to 14.8ft, but the conditions are poor. Forget it.
Friday the 10th and Saturday the 11th see the swell dip but the conditions are marginal, with lumpy cross-chop. The combined energy drops to around 2118, but the winds are messy.
Now, we get a solid run starting Sunday the 12th of July. The swell is a more manageable 6.6ft from the WSW with a long 16-second period. The wind is light cross-off from the ESE, and the conditions are clean. The combined energy is 2083. This is the sweet spot for experienced surfers. The size is still solid, but the conditions are excellent.
Monday the 13th is the best of the second week. The swell drops to a nice 5.2ft from the SW, with a clean offshore wind from the ENE. The afternoon turns glassy, with a 4.6ft WSW swell and almost no wind. This is the most accessible it gets—still has a good amount of energy (combined 1031 and 767) but it’s clean, manageable, and a great call for intermediate surfers. Crowds at Karekare are sometimes an issue, but on a Monday, you might be lucky.
The forecast then gets flatter and more inconsistent through the middle of July, with smaller swells (2.6ft to 5.9ft) and persistent NE winds. The 17th of July offers a glimmer of hope with a clean, 3.9ft SW groundswell and offshore ESE winds, but the energy is lower at 1195. The run from the 18th of July onward turns poor and onshore again. It’s a classic West Coast story: some absolute gold, but you have to take the bad with the good. Signing off.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 35mm), heaviest during Sun night. Very mild (max 14°C on Wed morning, min 10°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NE on Mon afternoon, strong winds from the SSW by Wed afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Wed night. Very mild (max 13°C on Wed night, min 7°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the S on Thu afternoon, calm by Sat morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 6 | Tuesday 7 | Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sun 12 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 16 | NW 9 | WNW 12 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 13 | WSW 18 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | SW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
819 | 2473 | 5322 | 7945 | 4761 | 3822 | 2423 | 2743 | 3297 | 2672 | 2766 | 9747 | 6151 | 2575 | 2488 | 1650 | 1511 | 1142 | 2378 | 2032 | 1699 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:40AM2.87m | 2:05PM2.77m | 2:25AM2.81m | 2:53PM2.72m | 3:15AM2.76m | 3:49PM2.69m | 4:15AM2.72m | 4:54PM2.70m | 5:22AM2.72m | 6:03PM2.77m | 6:32AM2.78m | 7:12PM2.89m | 7:40AM2.88m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:00AM0.67m | 8:20PM0.73m | 8:47AM0.70m | 9:12PM0.78m | 9:42AM0.73m | 10:12PM0.81m | 10:44AM0.74m | 11:19PM0.81m | 11:50AM0.71m | 00:27AM0.75m | 12:57PM0.65m | 1:36AM0.65m | 2:03PM0.57m | ||||||||
— | 7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | |
— | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:21 | |
mm | 13 | 3 | — | 1 | 2 | 16 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 |
Feels °C | 9 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | WSW 13 | WNW 12 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 20 | SW 13 | WSW 16 | SW 22 | WSW 19 | WSW 18 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | SW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 |
819 | 2253 | 5322 | 7945 | 4761 | 3822 | 2423 | 2743 | 99 | 2672 | 709 | 227 | 1004 | 2575 | 2488 | 1650 | 1511 | 1142 | 2378 | 2032 | 1699 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 16 | WSW 21 | WSW 18 | S 9 | WNW 9 | NW 9 | NW 8 | SW 21 | — | SW 18 | WSW 24 | SW 22 | — | WSW 18 | — | SW 11 | SW 21 | SSW 8 | S 7 | — | S 6 |
796 | 291 | 1689 | 26 | 202 | 77 | 11 | 18 | — | 460 | 55 | 227 | — | 1324 | — | 220 | 220 | 210 | 92 | — | 28 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 24 | — | — | SSW 10 | S 9 | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 24 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 21 | SW 20 | — | — | — |
22 | — | — | 31 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | 55 | — | — | — | — | — | 111 | 552 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 4 | NW 9 | NW 10 | ENE 3 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | SSE 5 | — | SSW 13 | SSW 7 | SW 11 | SSW 16 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 7 | — | — | SSE 6 | — |
34 | 2473 | 3130 | 9 | 40 | 68 | 102 | — | 3297 | 456 | 2766 | 9747 | 6151 | 2483 | 1147 | 611 | 276 | — | — | 51 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 233 | 128 | 95 | 6 | 13 | 48 | 6 | 77 | 106 | 77 | 78 | 86 | 107 | 48 | 78 | 35 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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.











