Surf Forecasts:
Karekare surf forecast from 22 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 16s period, WSW swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 16s period, WSW swell with 9,082 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 16s 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 Monday (Aug 24) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 4.5m and 16s 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 4.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12PM (Mon 24th Aug) | 15ft (4.5m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Mon 24th Aug) | 15ft (4.5m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Mon 24th Aug) | 15ft (4.5m) 16s |
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 Karekare has in store for us over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a wild ride.
Right from the get-go, things are looking pretty average. We’ve got a few days of poor conditions with onshore and cross-onshore winds messing up the wave face. The swell builds through Sunday and Monday, but the wind just ruins it. The combined swell energy jumps from moderate 763 on Saturday morning to a huge 2772 by Sunday afternoon, but it’s all messy. There’s a solid 12ft swell on Sunday and a massive 15ft on Monday, but with WNW and SW winds blowing on it, you’d be fighting a losing battle.
There’s a real gap in quality surfing here. After Monday the 24th, the forecast goes straight into a run of marginal conditions with questionable tides and poor surf quality flags from Tuesday through to the following Sunday. The swell drops off but the energy is still there, with readings like 2413 and 1512 showing moderate to strong energy, but the wind isn’t playing ball. It’s not until the very end of the window that we see a real standout.
The best session on offer looks to be Thursday the 3rd of September. The forecast shows a 15ft to 16ft WSW swell with a period of 12-13 seconds. Now, that’s a big, powerful groundswell. The combined swell energy is massive—7541 on the morning and 8463 on the afternoon. The key here is the wind. We’re seeing a light ESE breeze swinging cross-offshore, keeping the face clean. The afternoon swing to gentle offshore is your ticket. This is only for experienced surfers, no doubt. Anything over 8ft is for experts only, and this is double that. The water temp is around 57°, which is about average for this time of year with a slight negative anomaly, so a good 4/3 wetsuit is essential.
The day before, on Wednesday morning the 2nd, there’s a flicker of clean conditions with a cross-off shore from the ESE and a big 15ft W swell, but again, that’s expert-only territory. The real gem for experienced chargers is that Thursday.
To sum it up, the first week is mostly a write-off with poor to marginal surf thanks to wind and swell size issues. The second week is where the potential lives, but only for the crew who can handle serious size. If you’re a beginner, stay home until the 6th or 7th of September when things drop back under the 8ft mark, but even then the wind is still a bit tricky. For the rest of us, circle Thursday the 3rd of September on your calendar, but be prepared for a beast.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Sun morning, light winds from the SW by Mon afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Tue morning, min 12°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | W 8 | W 10 | WSW 11 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
752 | 318 | 219 | 625 | 2091 | 2160 | 7985 | 8427 | 5906 | 4347 | 3745 | 2618 | 2413 | 2764 | 2344 | 1497 | 1180 | 835 | 480 | 645 | 351 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:15PM2.33m | 5:44AM2.19m | 6:29PM2.37m | 6:57AM2.26m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:51AM1.12m | 11:43PM1.21m | 12:05PM1.13m | 1:03AM1.14m | 1:19PM1.04m | 2:05AM0.97m | 2:16PM0.87m | 2:49AM0.77m | 2:59PM0.68m | 3:26AM0.58m | 3:39PM0.51m | 4:03AM0.41m | 4:16PM0.37m | ||||||||
6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | |
— | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 |
Feels °C | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 17 | WSW 18 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | WNW 7 |
752 | 318 | 219 | 68 | 321 | 356 | 7985 | 8427 | 5906 | 4347 | 3745 | 2618 | 2413 | 2764 | 2344 | 1497 | 1180 | 835 | 480 | 645 | 225 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 24 | WSW 19 | WSW 19 | WSW 17 | WSW 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 20 | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | WSW 15 | WSW 13 |
— | 11 | 142 | 146 | 360 | 142 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | 190 | 103 | 330 | 242 | 351 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | WSW 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 24 | WSW 23 |
— | — | — | 103 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 22 | 54 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 4 | WSW 6 | W 6 | W 8 | W 10 | WSW 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 7 |
11 | 61 | 86 | 625 | 2091 | 2160 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 302 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 132 | 335 | 319 | 335 | 332 | 236 | 236 | 236 | 236 | 236 | 236 | 236 | 236 | 236 | 48 | 127 | 295 | 0 | 6 | 317 | 127 |
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.











