Surf Forecasts:
Karekare surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 16s period, SW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 16s period, SW swell with 4,169 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 16s 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 Wednesday (Aug 19) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 1.6m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be cross-shore 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 (Aug 19) 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 (Wed 19th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Karekare over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s look at what Karekare has to offer over the next two weeks. It’s a mixed bag, no doubt, but there are a couple of windows where it’ll be firing.
The first real highlight is Thursday morning, the 20th. The swell is coming in at 8ft from the southwest, with a long 14-second period. That’s proper groundswell, and the water temp is right around 57°F, which is about normal for this time of year. The wind is a light 10 km/h cross-offshore, so it’ll be clean and lined up. This is a big day—not for beginners—but for the experienced crew, this is the one. The combined energy is strong, around 2265, so there’s plenty of push. The afternoon will drop a bit in size and get more cross-shore, so make the most of the morning.
From Friday through the weekend, it’s a mess. Friday the 21st is onshore and junky, and the weekend is a complete write-off. Saturday the 22nd drops off, and Sunday sees a 10ft pulse but with a short 9-second period and strong onshore wind. That’s just a lumpy, blown-out ocean—better for kites than surfboards. Monday the 24th is still onshore and way too big, with a 10ft, 16-second swell and over 5000 in energy. Karekare can’t handle that much water. This poor stretch runs right through to the 29th.
Now, for the second week, the long-range models are looking better. The big standout is Monday the 31st of August. The swell pumps back up to around 7ft from the WSW with a 15-second period. The wind is offshore in the morning, and by the afternoon it goes totally glassy with a 5 km/h breeze. That’s about as clean as it gets. The energy is solid, around 1804, and this is the best on offer for the entire two weeks. It’s still a ways out, so treat it as promising, not certain.
Sunday the 30th might be worth a look as well. It’s smaller in the morning, around 4ft, but with light cross-offshore winds and a very long 18-second period. That long period will make it fast and powerful, but at a beach break like this, it might be a bit straight. The afternoon picks up to 6ft with more energy, so if you find a good bank, there’ll be some juice.
After that, we’ve got another massive swell hitting on the 2nd and 3rd of September. The 3rd is looking huge—12ft from the southwest with a 16-second period and a massive 10497 energy value. That’s a serious, powerful groundswell, but it’s just too big for Karekare. The wind will be light, so it’ll be clean, but this is expert-only territory and probably closing out.
So, to sum it up: your best windows are Thursday morning the 20th, and that glassy session on Monday the 31st. There’s a long lull from the 22nd to the 28th, so if you’re keen, be patient and wait for the good ones.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu night, min 9°C on Wed morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSE on Wed morning, calm by Wed night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat morning, min 12°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Sun morning, light winds from the WSW by Mon night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | |||||||||||||||
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 11 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SW 14 | WSW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WNW 7 | W 8 | W 9 | WSW 18 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1001 | 1619 | 3237 | 2265 | 1598 | 1144 | 961 | 833 | 934 | 838 | 318 | 342 | 916 | 1232 | 428 | 1586 | 3822 | 3714 | 3095 | 2866 | 1973 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 2:21PM2.74m | 2:32AM2.61m | 3:05PM2.55m | 3:21AM2.39m | 4:04PM2.40m | 4:27AM2.23m | 5:15PM2.33m | 5:44AM2.19m | 6:29PM2.37m | 6:57AM2.26m | 7:32PM2.50m | 7:55AM2.41m | 8:20PM2.66m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:37PM0.85m | 8:59AM0.83m | 9:26PM1.04m | 9:49AM1.00m | 10:28PM1.17m | 10:51AM1.12m | 11:43PM1.21m | 12:05PM1.13m | 1:03AM1.14m | 1:19PM1.04m | 2:05AM0.97m | 2:16PM0.87m | 2:49AM0.77m | ||||||||
7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | |
— | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 10 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
Feels °C | 2 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 11 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SW 14 | WSW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 16 | WSW 17 | W 8 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 |
1001 | 1619 | 3237 | 2265 | 1598 | 1144 | 961 | 833 | 934 | 838 | 318 | 195 | 103 | 437 | 428 | 1586 | 3822 | 3714 | 3095 | 2866 | 1973 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 14 | WSW 16 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 16 | — | — | W 24 | WSW 19 | WSW 19 | WSW 17 | WSW 15 | W 8 | WNW 8 | — | — | — | SW 21 |
447 | 726 | — | — | — | — | — | 271 | — | — | 11 | 140 | 146 | 437 | 339 | 286 | 75 | — | — | — | 18 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 12 | WSW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
327 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 37 | 399 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | S 6 | — | — | — | — | WSW 3 | — | — | WSW 6 | W 5 | WNW 7 | W 8 | W 9 | — | W 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
314 | 148 | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 53 | 110 | 342 | 916 | 1232 | — | 198 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 147 | 147 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 90 | 90 | 123 | 90 | 132 | 335 | 192 | 335 | 126 | 122 | 127 | 236 | 13 | 236 | 236 | 236 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Auckland | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.











