Karekare Surf Break

Lat Long: 37.00° S 174.48° E

Karekare Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 pm 20 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Karekare sea temperature is
14.5° C
0.3° 

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


Karekare surf forecast from 20 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 21ft (6.5m), 14s period, WSW swell with cross-onshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 21ft (6.5m), 14s period, WSW swell with 16,160 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 9AM (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 Tuesday (Jul 21) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 14s period. 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 6.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Monday (Jul 27) at 12AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 9AM (Tue 21st Jul)6ft (1.8m) 14s
Best Surf 3PM (Sat 25th Jul)21ft (6.5m) 14s
Most Powerful 6PM (Sat 25th Jul)21ft (6.5m) 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 coming down the pipe for the next couple of weeks.

We’re starting off with a bit of a wait. The first real session on offer is Monday afternoon, July 20th, at Karekare. The water’s sitting at 58°F, which is about average for this time of year, nothing weird there. The swell is a solid 7 ft from the WSW, with a period of 14 seconds, so that’s a proper groundswell with some serious energy behind it (combined energy of 1777). That’s moderate-to-strong stuff. It’s a bit much for beginners, but for experienced surfers, this is clean with a light offshore breeze from the ENE. That’s a good start.

The standout session of the whole forecast, though, has to be Tuesday morning, July 21st. The swell drops to a more manageable 6 ft, still from the SW, with that same long 14-second period. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the SE, and the surf is clean. The combined energy is still strong at 1058. This is the pick of the early run – clean, powerful, and not too crowded (crowds only sometimes). It’s a quality window for an intermediate surfer.

After that, things get a bit messy. Tuesday afternoon sees the wind swing onshore, and the quality drops. Wednesday and Thursday are a write-off with onshore winds and choppy conditions. The swell builds again Thursday afternoon, but the wind is straight onshore.

The real trouble starts on Saturday, July 25th. The swell jumps to a massive 16 ft from the WSW, and the wind is a screaming cross-onshore near gale at 31 mph. The energy reading is insane at 6979. This is blown out, dangerous, and way too big for anyone but the most experienced, and even then, it’s not clean. Sunday and Monday are the same story – huge, messy, and onshore. This stretch is more for kite surfers than paddle surfers, honestly.

The second week, from around July 30th, we see another big groundswell pulse, but the winds are still onshore or cross-onshore. On Thursday, July 30th, we get an 8 ft swell from the WSW with a very long 17-second period, but the wind is onshore from the W. The energy is very strong at 4654, but it’s not clean. It’s a promising swell for a reef or point, but Karekare is an exposed beach, so that long period will just make it close out.

The very end of the forecast, August 3rd and 4th, we start to see some lighter winds again. The swell is still huge – 12 ft to 15 ft – but the wind goes light and cross-offshore. The energy is very strong (4461 to 8200). For a big-wave specialist, Monday afternoon, August 3rd, and Tuesday morning, August 4th, could be the only window where the size and the wind actually line up. But it’s a long way off and far from certain. For now, the best bet is that Tuesday morning, July 21st.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Wed afternoon, min 10°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 52mm), heaviest during Sat night. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri afternoon, min 10°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WNW on Thu night, strong winds from the SW by Sun afternoon).

Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
Saturday
25
Sunday
26
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
4
4
3
2
1
0
0
2
1
1
2
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)
1.9
WSW
14
1.8
SW
14
1.7
SW
13
1.6
SW
13
1.3
SW
12
1.1
SW
12
0.9
SW
12
1.6
SW
14
1.9
SW
13
1.7
WSW
13
1.3
WSW
12
1.3
WSW
12
3
W
8
5.5
WSW
11
6.5
WSW
14
5.5
WSW
15
5
WSW
15
4.5
WSW
14
3.5
WSW
14
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1310
1161
1011
828
479
330
205
975
1308
983
488
517
1361
7598
15043
12926
11184
7863
4215
Wind (km/h)
15
E
5
SE
15
S
10
SSW
15
SW
20
SW
15
SW
10
SW
15
W
15
NW
15
N
25
NNW
35
WNW
45
WSW
45
WSW
25
WNW
45
W
50
SW
40
SSW
Wind State
off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
High Tide
2:40AM2.92m
3:07PM2.81m
3:25AM2.73m
3:57PM2.65m
4:19AM2.55m
4:55PM2.53m
5:21AM2.43m
6:00PM2.49m
6:28AM2.39m
7:06PM2.53m
7:31AM2.44m
8:02PM2.62m
Low Tide
9:03AM0.65m
9:24PM0.82m
9:52AM0.82m
10:18PM0.97m
10:47AM0.96m
11:19PM1.07m
11:46AM1.04m
00:25AM1.10m
12:48PM1.05m
1:30AM1.06m
1:49PM1.00m
2:27AM0.96m
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
rain showers
cloud
part cloud
rain showers
heavy rain
rain showers
light rain
rain showers
heavy rain
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:28
7:28
7:28
7:26
7:26
7:26
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:27
5:28
5:29
5:30
5:30
5:30
 mm
2
2
12
10
2
2
18
4
2
2
Temp °C
10
11
12
13
13
14
14
14
13
13
11
14
14
11
11
13
13
11
10
Feels °C
6
9
9
9
9
10
10
11
9
10
7
9
8
1
1
8
5
1
1
  • Map Icons:
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  • 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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