Karekare Surf Break

Lat Long: 37.00° S 174.48° E

Karekare Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 31 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Karekare sea temperature is
14.1°C
0.0° 

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


Karekare surf forecast from 31 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 5 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 12s period, WSW swell with cross-onshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 3PM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 16s period, WSW swell with 11,424 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 5 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 12s 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 Saturday (Sep 05) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 2.0m and 15s. The wind is predicted to be cross-onshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Karekare in the next 16 days are 5.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 9AM (Sat 5th Sep)11ft (3.5m) 12s
Best Surf 9AM (Sat 5th Sep)11ft (3.5m) 12s
Most Powerful 3PM (Mon 7th Sep)16ft (5.0m) 16s

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


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here, with a look at what’s coming up for Karekare over the next couple of weeks.

Alright, let’s be straight up from the start. If you’re looking at the next nine days, from Monday the 31st of August right through to Tuesday the 8th of September, you’re staring down the barrel of a big, messy, blown-out ocean. There’s plenty of swell in the water – we’re talking 10ft to 16ft range from the WSW, with a combined energy reading anywhere from 2216 to a massive 11424 – that’s seriously strong wave energy. But the problem is the wind. For day after day, it’s either onshore or cross-onshore, often howling at 18 to 25 mph. That’s a recipe for chopped-up, lumpy, poor surf, plain and simple. There’s a stretch there from Wednesday the 2nd to Saturday the 5th where the swell is still big, and the wind eases off a touch, but the waves are just too oversized for this spot. Karekare is an exposed beach setup, and with that much juice and onshore wind, it’s honestly looking more like a kite surfer’s playground than a paddle surfer’s.

We do finally get a glimmer of hope after that long, ugly stretch. The real standout comes in on Saturday the 12th of September. The morning shows a clear sky, a light 9 mph ENE breeze – that’s a clean cross-offshore wind – and a solid 8ft groundswell from the WSW, with a period of 16 seconds. That’s a very long period, which means proper energy and shape, but at a beach break like Karekare it can sometimes make the waves a bit too straight. Still, the combined energy is a strong 2828, and the surf report says it’s excellent for experienced surfers. The water temp is sitting around 57°, which is bang on average for this time of year – no surprises there. The afternoon keeps that clean feel with a light NE breeze. Crowds are listed as “sometimes,” so you might have a few others out, but it won’t be a circus.

Sunday the 13th of September morning is also a ripper – light 6 mph offshore wind from the east, 8ft swell, good period, and clean conditions. That’s a solid backup option. After that, the swell starts to fade through Monday the 14th, with smaller 5ft to 5ft waves and lighter winds, still offering some fun, cleaner waves for the experienced crew.

So to wrap it up: the first week and a half is a write-off – big surf, bad wind, and not worth your time. The best of the whole forecast is undeniably the weekend of the 12th and 13th of September, with Saturday morning being the pick of the bunch for some clean, powerful, expert-only waves.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Mon morning, min 13°C on Mon afternoon). Mainly strong winds.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu morning, min 10°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NW on Fri morning, light winds from the WNW by Sat afternoon).

Monday
31
Tuesday
1
Wednesday
2
Thursday
3
Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
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)
4.5
WSW
13
4.5
WSW
14
5
WSW
14
5
SW
14
4.5
SW
14
4
WSW
14
3
WSW
14
3
WSW
13
2.5
WSW
13
2.4
WSW
14
2.3
WSW
14
2
WSW
11
3
W
14
4
W
11
4
WSW
12
3.5
WSW
12
4
WSW
14
3.5
WSW
14
3.5
WSW
15
3
WSW
16
4
WSW
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
6545
9047
9663
9831
8471
5711
3638
2993
2623
2216
2109
903
3815
3386
5101
3874
5845
4263
4966
3812
8791
Wind (km/h)
35
WSW
40
WSW
35
WSW
40
SW
30
SW
25
WSW
25
WSW
25
W
20
W
20
WNW
25
WNW
25
NW
40
NW
35
WSW
25
SW
15
WSW
15
W
15
N
25
N
30
WSW
35
WSW
Wind State
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross
cross
cross-on
on
High Tide
11:58AM3.02m
00:13AM3.08m
12:37PM2.97m
00:52AM2.98m
1:17PM2.88m
1:32AM2.84m
2:02PM2.77m
2:20AM2.68m
2:58PM2.66m
3:23AM2.52m
4:09PM2.58m
4:40AM2.44m
5:28PM2.60m
Low Tide
6:10PM0.30m
6:32AM0.25m
6:51PM0.39m
7:12AM0.34m
7:34PM0.51m
7:56AM0.46m
8:23PM0.65m
8:47AM0.59m
9:21PM0.79m
9:48AM0.71m
10:33PM0.87m
11:01AM0.79m
11:54PM0.86m
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
cloud
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
light rain
rain showers
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:45
6:43
6:41
6:39
6:39
6:37
6:35
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:00
6:00
6:01
6:01
6:02
6:04
6:05
 mm
6
5
5
1
Temp °C
14
13
13
13
13
13
14
14
14
15
15
14
15
15
13
14
14
12
15
14
14
Feels °C
7
5
5
5
6
8
9
9
10
11
11
10
8
9
6
10
10
10
8
8
8
  • 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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