Surf Forecasts:
Karekare surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 3PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 31 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 10,893 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 13s 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 Thursday (Aug 27) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.0m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 17s. 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 5.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 31) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Friday (Aug 28) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 3PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Mon 31st Aug) | 18ft (5.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Karekare over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, this is Rusty, and I've got the lowdown on Karekare. There's a bit of a wait before things start to clean up, so don't be in a hurry. The water temp sits at 56°F which is pretty much what you'd expect for this time of year, nothing weird going on there.
Right, so for the first week, from Wednesday 26 August right through to the middle of the following week, it's pretty ordinary. The swell is there, but the wind is a dirty cross-onshore for most of it, and the wave energy is moderate to strong (2378 to 10893), but the quality is poor. A lot of it is just too big and blown out. Thursday 27 August has a bit of size around 7 ft to 7 ft from the WSW with a decent 13-second period, but the wind is light cross-onshore, so it'll be lumpy. Honestly, it's not worth the paddle.
Skip ahead to Saturday 5 September morning. The swell is 10 ft from the WSW with a very long 16-second period, but the wind from the SSW is a light cross-onshore. The energy is hefty (5906). It's flagged as too big for the break – that's expert-only territory and only if the tide lines up, but the wind isn't helping. The following days stay oversized and choppy.
Now, for the real standout. Wednesday 9 September morning, things get interesting. Karekare (Auckland) will have a 7 ft swell from the SW with a 14-second period. The wind is from the NNE at 6 mph, coming cross-offshore. That's clean. The wave energy is moderate (1830). It's an excellent session for experienced surfers. Then Wednesday afternoon – glassy. The wind drops to nearly nothing from the S at only 3 mph, the swell drops a touch to 6 ft from the SW, and it's glassy. That's the pick of the period, a rare clean window at a spot that can be messy.
Thursday 10 September morning also looks promising with a 7 ft WSW swell, a very long 20-second period, and a clean cross-offshore breeze from the ENE. The energy is strong (3623). This is another excellent option for experienced surfers, though the swell is running long, so expect some lulls between sets.
To be honest, for the first ten days, it's a full-on write-off for a decent paddle. The best bet is to circle Wednesday 9 September on the calendar, because that glassy afternoon looks magic. The crowds can be an issue here sometimes, but if you're out there midweek, you might dodge the worst of it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sat morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Sat morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the NW on Sat morning, fresh winds from the WSW by Sun night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | |||||||||||||||
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 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WNW 9 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | SW 11 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WSW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 2378 | 2689 | 2002 | 1497 | 1289 | 1085 | 425 | 494 | 629 | 346 | 1217 | 970 | 704 | 1003 | 7344 | 10893 | 8771 | 8360 | 6777 | 5107 | 3953 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 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 | 11:58AM3.02m | 00:13AM3.08m | 12:37PM2.97m | 00:52AM2.98m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 5:54AM0.21m | 6:10PM0.30m | 6:32AM0.25m | 6:51PM0.39m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | | |  | |  |  |  | | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — |
 | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 8 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
Feels °C | 11 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 11 | WSW 18 | WSW 18 | — | — | — | — | SW 24 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
| kJ | 2378 | 2689 | 2002 | 1497 | 1289 | 1085 | 181 | 400 | 629 | 346 | 1217 | 970 | 609 | 751 | — | — | — | — | 22 | 5107 | 3953 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | WSW 17 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WSW 20 | WSW 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 24 | WSW 22 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 111 | 103 | 425 | 494 | 357 | 133 | 43 | 432 | 102 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 22 | 45 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 11 | W 24 | WSW 22 | WSW 11 | WSW 21 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | 71 | 11 | 50 | 206 | 171 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 4 | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | SW 11 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WSW 15 | SW 14 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | 704 | 1003 | 7344 | 10893 | 8771 | 8360 | 6777 | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 317 | 335 | 317 | 101 | 13 | 0 | 317 | 6 | 49 | 49 | 48 | 77 | 77 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 77 | 90 | 90 |
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.
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