Karekare Surf Break

Lat Long: 37.00° S 174.48° E

Karekare Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 pm 24 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Karekare sea temperature is
13.7°C
0.4° 

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


Karekare surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 25 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 15s period, WSW swell with cross-onshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 31 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 12s period, SW swell with 6,016 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 25 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 15s 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 Tuesday (Aug 25) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 15s period. 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 12s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 31) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 9PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)12AM (Tue 25th Aug)11ft (3.5m) 15s
Best Surf12AM (Tue 25th Aug)11ft (3.5m) 15s
Most Powerful 9PM (Mon 31st Aug)16ft (5.0m) 12s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here again. Let’s break down the same outlook but in feet and miles per hour.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a proper swell hitting, but it’s way too much to handle. Monday the 24th sees a 13 ft WSW swell with a 15-second period, cranking out a massive combined energy of 7701. That’s a serious amount of water moving, but the wind is cross-on from the SW at 9 mph, making it choppy and messy. Even with the wind and tide being favorable, it’s just too big for a paddle. This is expert-only territory, if anything.

Tuesday the 25th is more of the same – a 10 ft WSW swell, still a 15-second period, but onshore wind from the WSW at 12 mph. The morning might have a bit of form, but the afternoon is a write-off. Wednesday the 26th drops slightly to 8 ft, but still onshore wind and the combined energy is still huge (2378 to 2760). These are days for watching, not surfing.

We get a bit of a breather from Thursday the 27th into Friday the 28th, with the swell dropping to 7 ft and then 3 ft, but the wind is still messy – cross-on or cross-off with a bit of chop. The combined energy drops to around 900-1400, which is moderate, but the quality is marginal. Saturday the 29th is similar, with a 4 ft swell but choppy cross-on wind. Sunday the 30th is a write-off with 19 mph cross-on wind and rain showers.

Then on Monday the 31st, we get a massive spike again – 12 ft to 13 ft from the SW, but with a fresh 22 mph cross-on breeze. That’s just a washing machine, and the combined energy is over 3000. Not good for surfing.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Tuesday the 1st of September, the swell is still big at 12 ft from the SW, but the wind drops to a light breeze from the WSW at 6 mph. The combined energy is still massive (6133), and the wind and tide are favorable, but it’s just too big for a standard paddle. Only for the most experienced. Wednesday the 2nd is similar, 10 ft, still too big.

We finally get a window on Thursday the 4th of September. The expected swell is 13 ft from the W, but with a clean cross-off wind from the NE at 6 mph. The combined energy is 4547. The wind and tide are favorable, but again, at 13 ft, it’s too big for most. Friday the 5th is the standout: the swell is 16 ft from the WSW with an 11-second period, and the wind goes glassy from the ENE at 3 mph. The combined energy is over 6000. This is a giant, clean, powerful swell. Karekare is an exposed beach break, and with that period (11 seconds), it’s going to be a freight train, but for a very small group of big-wave chargers, this could be the session. It’s the best on offer, but only for experts.

The following week, from Saturday the 6th to Tuesday the 8th, the swell drops back to the 5 ft to 8 ft range, and the wind is mostly clean from the NE. The combined energy is moderate (675 to 2053). These are the days for the average surfer. Tuesday the 8th looks the best of that bunch, with a 7 ft to 7 ft WSW swell, a 14-second period, and clean cross-off wind from the NE at 9 mph. The water temp is about 57°F, which is roughly average for the time of year, not something to worry about.

Overall, the first week is a mixed bag of too big and too windy. The real standout is the 5th of September with that glassy, massive swell, but it’s for the brave and the prepared. The second week has more manageable, cleaner surf for the rest of us.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu morning, min 12°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Fri night. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the ENE on Thu afternoon, fresh winds from the WSW by Sun morning).

Mon
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
!
!
!
0
2
1
1
1
2
3
4
2
2
2
1
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
WSW
15
3.5
WSW
15
3
WSW
15
3
WSW
15
2.5
WSW
14
2.5
WSW
14
2.5
WSW
14
2.5
WSW
14
2.1
WSW
13
2
WSW
13
1.9
WSW
12
1
WSW
14
1.1
WSW
14
1.8
NW
9
1.3
WSW
13
1.4
WSW
12
1.7
WSW
12
1.7
SW
11
1.1
WSW
18
3
SW
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
7701
5634
4407
3526
2655
2378
2760
2311
1427
1289
1064
419
494
493
578
569
763
701
759
1014
Wind (km/h)
15
SW
15
WSW
20
WSW
20
WSW
15
WSW
20
WSW
20
WNW
15
WNW
10
NNW
5
WSW
15
NNE
20
N
15
N
20
NNE
10
WSW
20
SW
25
SW
30
WSW
30
WSW
35
SW
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
on
on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
High Tide
7:32PM2.50m
7:55AM2.41m
8:20PM2.66m
8:41AM2.59m
9:02PM2.83m
9:22AM2.76m
9:41PM2.98m
10:02AM2.90m
10:20PM3.08m
10:41AM2.99m
10:58PM3.14m
11:20AM3.03m
11:36PM3.14m
Low Tide
2:05AM0.97m
2:16PM0.87m
2:49AM0.77m
2:59PM0.68m
3:26AM0.58m
3:39PM0.51m
4:03AM0.41m
4:16PM0.37m
4:39AM0.29m
4:54PM0.29m
5:16AM0.22m
5:32PM0.27m
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
cloud
cloud
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:52
6:52
6:50
6:48
6:48
6:46
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:53
5:54
5:55
5:57
5:58
5:58
5:59
 mm
6
2
2
1
Temp °C
13
13
14
13
14
14
14
13
15
16
13
16
17
14
14
14
13
13
14
13
Feels °C
9
10
10
9
11
11
11
10
13
14
11
12
14
11
12
10
7
6
8
6
  • 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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