
Surf Forecasts:
Karekare surf forecast from 9 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 10 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 18s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 10 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 18s period, SW swell with 6,659 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 10 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 18s 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 Friday (Jul 10) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 18s 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 3.5m 18s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 10) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 11) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12PM (Fri 10th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Fri 10th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Fri 10th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Karekare over the next 16 days.
Righto, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s in store for Karekare.
We’ve got a 16-day window, but the first few days are a bit of a write-off for the average punter. The action starts on Friday, July 10th, but that’s not for you and me. A solid 12ft SW groundswell (very long period at 18 seconds) is pumping in, and the combined energy is massive (8566), but it’s just too big for this break. The wind is cross from the south at 16 mph, so it’s messy and for experts only. Friday afternoon is a little better at 10ft, but still a heavy, high-energy (6141) beast.
The real window opens Saturday, July 11th. The swell drops to a more manageable 7ft from the SW (15-second period), and the wind swings to a light offshore from the ESE at 6 mph. The water temp is 59°, bang on average for this time of year. The conditions are clean, and the wave comment says it’s excellent for experienced surfers. Saturday afternoon is even better with 6ft SW swell, light SSE cross-offshore wind, and glassy conditions. The energy is still high at 2297, but it’s a beautiful setup.
Sunday, July 12th is the standout. The morning brings a 7ft SW swell (16-second period, 2291 energy) with a clean offshore wind from the east. By the afternoon, it gets glassy – a light NE breeze at 3 mph, near perfect 7ft WSW swell, and the surface is like a mirror. This is the pick of the week. The break is fairly consistent, but with crowds sometimes, it could get a bit busy. For a spot this good, that’s the price you pay.
The surf starts to ease into the new week. Monday, July 13th, still offers 5ft WSW swell with clean cross-offshore winds, but it's smaller. Tuesday, July 14th, is a mix: a glassy 6ft WNW swell in the morning, but the period drops to 8 seconds, which is weak and short for a beach break. The afternoon turns to junk with a 3ft cross-onshore wave.
Mid-week, Wednesday, July 15th, sees a new pulse of 6ft WSW swell (11 seconds) but with a cross-shore wind, so it’s a bit grovelly. A bigger bump comes Thursday, July 16th, with a 10ft WSW swell in the morning, but it’s again too big. The afternoon, however, is glassy and 8ft, which is a solid expert-only session.
The following weekend, July 18th and 19th, brings strong offshore winds (16 to 19 mph from the east) and a clean, 5ft to 6ft WSW swell. The energy is moderate (1124 to 1809), and the period is a solid 14-16 seconds. It’s offshore, so the waves will be clean, but the wind is howling. It’s more of a windy offshore session, and the setup might appeal more to kite surfers than paddle surfers.
The second week is a slow taper. From Monday, July 20th, through to the end, the swell drops to 3ft offshores, with periods hanging around 13-17 seconds. The wind stays strong offshore (12 to 22 mph), so it’s clean but small and wind-affected. The magic is gone. The end of the window, July 25th, has a 4ft SW swell with glassy conditions, which is a nice way to finish – but it’s just a small, clean session.
So, overall: Saturday, July 11th, and Sunday, July 12th, are your best bets. Sunday morning and afternoon are the true standouts for clean, powerful waves. The rest of the week has some good windows for experienced surfers, but the big swells are too big, and the small ones are too blown out.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 12°C on Fri morning, min 8°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon afternoon, min 11°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | |||||||||||||||
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 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | SW 13 | WNW 8 | WSW 13 | W 12 | W 11 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
7367 | 5692 | 2687 | 1976 | 1382 | 2475 | 2291 | 1907 | 1409 | 947 | 635 | 261 | 370 | 209 | 957 | 849 | 3507 | 4040 | 3393 | 3102 | 2414 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | glassy |
High Tide | 6:03PM2.77m | 6:32AM2.78m | 7:12PM2.89m | 7:40AM2.88m | 8:16PM3.04m | 8:43AM2.99m | 9:14PM3.17m | 9:40AM3.11m | 10:09PM3.28m | 10:33AM3.19m | 10:59PM3.34m | 11:23AM3.24m | 11:47PM3.36m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:50AM0.71m | 00:27AM0.75m | 12:57PM0.65m | 1:36AM0.65m | 2:03PM0.57m | 2:40AM0.53m | 3:05PM0.47m | 3:39AM0.40m | 4:02PM0.37m | 4:32AM0.29m | 4:53PM0.30m | 5:21AM0.22m | 5:40PM0.27m | ||||||||
7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | |
— | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
Feels °C | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | SW 13 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 12 | W 11 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 |
1199 | 5692 | 2687 | 1976 | 1382 | 2475 | 2291 | 1907 | 1409 | 947 | 635 | 261 | 370 | 176 | 957 | 849 | 3507 | 4040 | 3393 | 3102 | 2414 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 6 | SW 20 | SW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 24 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 18 | WSW 16 | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 94 | 552 | 915 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | 229 | 209 | 283 | 667 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 22 | SW 6 | WSW 24 | SW 21 | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 49 | 24 | 55 | 467 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SSW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 4 | NNW 5 | NW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
7367 | 449 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 16 | 133 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 48 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 332 | 0 | 95 | 35 | 6 | 101 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
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.










