
Surf Forecasts:
Karekare surf forecast from 8 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 9 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 9 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 16s period, SW swell with 9,071 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 9 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 13s period with SSW 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 Thursday (Jul 09) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 18s. Another secondary swell of 0.7m and 18s is also forecast. 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 4.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 09) at 9AM. 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+) | 12AM (Thu 9th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Thu 9th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Thu 9th Jul) | 15ft (4.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Karekare over the next 16 days.
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a yarn about what’s coming our way at Karekare. It’s a bit of a slow burner, but there’s some real magic on the horizon if you’re patient.
First up, the water temp is sitting at a fairly average 59°, nothing unusual for this time of year. The early part of the week is a write-off, so don’t bother paddling out until late Friday. The next few days are a mix of lumpy cross-chop and building, unruly swell. There’s a big, strong 15ft, 16-second groundswell on Thursday, but it’s accompanied by a stiff 22 mph cross-shore wind that’s going to turn the ocean into a washing machine. Combined wave energy is a massive 9126, which tells you it’s powerful, but it’s just ugly.
Things start to get interesting on Friday afternoon, 10 July. We’ve got a solid 10ft swell from the SW, with a 17-second period, which is proper long-period groundswell. The wind drops right off to a gentle 9 mph cross-shore, but here’s the catch – the swell is predicted to be too big for this break, making it likely a choppy mess on the sets.
The real standout arrives on Saturday, 11 July. Saturday morning is clean, with an ESE breeze at 6 mph making for tidy, cross-off conditions. The swell is a runner-up 7ft from the SW, period 15 seconds, and the energy is still noticeable at 2528. By Saturday afternoon, it goes glassy. Dead flat wind. Zero ripple. We’re looking at a beautiful 6ft SW groundswell, clean as a whistle. This is the sweet spot – excellent conditions for experienced surfers.
Sunday, 12 July, is nearly as good. Morning is clean, 7ft from the WSW, 16-second period, and light cross-off winds. Afternoon goes glassy again with a 7ft WSW swell. It’s the best, most consistent run of the whole forecast. Crowds are listed as sometimes at Karekare, so on these absolute pearlers, expect a few other locals to have the same idea.
After that, the surf backs off through the second week. There’s a fun, but inconsistent window around Wednesday 15 July morning with a small 5ft, 21-second super-long period groundswell, but it’s light cross-shore wind, so not perfect. The next standout is further out: on Tuesday morning, 21 July, we see a 10ft SSE windswell with short 7-second period, but with moderate offshore winds. It’ll be big and clean, but short-period swells like that can be bumpy at beach breaks. Then on Wednesday morning, 22 July, a huge 21ft SW groundswell rolls in with an offshore breeze, but that’s well into the too-big territory – don’t even think about it unless you’re on a gun and know what you’re doing.
So, the short version: this Saturday and Sunday are the only real standouts. Get on it while the getting’s good.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Wed morning, min 7°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the S on Thu afternoon, light winds from the SSW by Fri night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Mon night. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon afternoon, min 7°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 8 | Thursday 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | |||||||||||||||
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 14 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 16 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | WSW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WNW 8 | WSW 14 | W 9 | W 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
2004 | 2288 | 3100 | 9071 | 7056 | 5983 | 2703 | 5692 | 2839 | 1976 | 1203 | 2475 | 2178 | 1786 | 1279 | 886 | 508 | 432 | 252 | 274 | 1160 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | off | cross-off | glassy | off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 3:49PM2.69m | 4:15AM2.72m | 4:54PM2.70m | 5:22AM2.72m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:42AM0.73m | 10:12PM0.81m | 10:44AM0.74m | 11:19PM0.81m | 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 | ||||||||
7:35 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | |
— | 5:19 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
Feels °C | 10 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 20 | SW 18 | WSW 24 | WSW 16 | WSW 19 | WSW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WNW 8 | W 9 | W 12 |
2004 | 99 | 460 | 55 | 1261 | 1004 | 2703 | 5692 | 2839 | 1976 | 1203 | 2475 | 2178 | 1786 | 1279 | 886 | 508 | 286 | 252 | 274 | 1160 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 8 | — | SW 18 | — | SW 21 | — | — | — | SSW 7 | SW 20 | SW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 24 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | SW 19 |
2 | — | 323 | — | 224 | — | — | — | 135 | 552 | 915 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | 236 | 269 | 179 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 21 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 24 | NW 7 | NW 7 | SW 24 |
18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | 44 | 34 | 141 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 16 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 3 | NNW 3 | WNW 8 | — | — | NW 7 |
— | 2288 | 3100 | 9071 | 7056 | 5983 | 2665 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 6 | 432 | — | — | 7 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 6 | 77 | 49 | 78 | 213 | 107 | 48 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 14 | 90 | 0 | 90 | 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.










