
Surf Forecasts:
Lighthouse Reef surf forecast from 18 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 20 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 17s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 19s period, SSE swell with 735 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 13s period with ESE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Lighthouse Reef this week:
The surf forecast for Lighthouse Reef over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 15s. Another secondary swell of 1.0m and 6s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Lighthouse Reef in the next 16 days are 1.0m 19s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 8s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 19s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Lighthouse Reef over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, grab your board and listen up. I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Lighthouse Reef. This is a tricky little spot – beach and reef, advanced only, and it’s inconsistent, so it’s not for the faint-hearted. It’s exposed, and the best swell direction is from the ENE, but we’ll take what we can get. Crowds can pop up sometimes, so keep that in mind.
The next couple of weeks are a mixed bag. We’ve got a few clean windows, but also some long flat spells. Let’s walk through it.
Sunday July 19 – Morning starts with a glassy 2.3ft SSE swell, period 15 seconds, and combined energy of 439 (moderate). It’s clean but nothing special. Afternoon turns cross-on with ENE wind, so that’s a write-off.
Monday July 20 – This is the standout of the whole period. Morning shows 3.3ft SSE swell, period 19 seconds – that’s a long-period groundswell, lots of energy (818). Glassy conditions, clean as a whistle. The reef will handle that long period, so expect some real runners. Afternoon gets a bit cross, but still decent.
Tuesday July 21 – Drops off fast. Morning 2.0ft SSE, period 13 seconds, cross-off wind, energy 134 – weak. Afternoon glassy but tiny at 1.6ft. Not worth the paddle.
Wednesday July 22 through Saturday July 25 – A dead run. Waves barely knee-high, energy under 100, and winds are messy. Some rain, onshore gusts – total write-off. That’s four days of nothing.
Sunday July 26 – We’re back. Morning 2.3ft SSE, 17 seconds, clean cross-off, energy 497. Afternoon turns glassy with 2.6ft SSE, 15 seconds, 544 energy – very good conditions. The reef will love the long period, but beach breaks might be too straight. Still, this is another solid session.
Monday July 27 through Tuesday July 28 – Ordinary again. 1.3ft ESE, periods 12 seconds, light winds. Surfable but no power.
Wednesday July 29 – A surprise. Morning 4.6ft ENE, period only 6 seconds – short-period windswell, but direction matches the optimum. Energy 299, clean cross-off. Afternoon 5.2ft NE, period 7 seconds, energy 429. That’s a bit of size, but the short period makes it crumbly. For experts only – over 5ft and short period means tricky. If you’re a kite surfer, this might be more your thing.
Thursday July 30 through Friday July 31 – Back to small. 2.0ft to 2.6ft ESE, periods 11 seconds, clean but weak. Nothing to get excited about.
Saturday August 1 through Sunday August 2 – Heavy rain, strong onshore winds, surf all over the place. Stay home.
Monday August 3 – Morning shows 2.6ft SSE, 17 seconds, cross-shore wind, energy 569 – marginal due to tide conditions, but at least there’s a pulse.
So, the best on offer: Monday July 20 morning – glassy, chest-high groundswell, and Sunday July 26 afternoon – glassy, clean,
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 12°C on Tue afternoon, min 7°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Fri morning, min 4°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | SSE 17 | SSE 19 | SE 18 | SE 15 | SSE 13 | SE 12 | SE 11 | ESE 11 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | NE 5 | ENE 5 | NE 5 | SSW 4 | ENE 6 | ESE 13 | NE 7 | ESE 17 | SSE 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
154 | 135 | 386 | 735 | 449 | 242 | 108 | 68 | 31 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 35 | 23 | 35 | 22 | 8 | 17 | 331 | 60 | 131 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross | off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:53PM2.23m | 8:18AM2.14m | 8:48PM2.10m | 9:17AM2.07m | 9:47PM2.01m | 10:14AM2.04m | 10:46PM1.98m | 11:05AM2.03m | 11:41PM2.01m | 11:49AM2.05m | 00:26AM2.06m | 12:31PM2.07m | 1:02AM2.11m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:28PM0.53m | 1:47AM0.65m | 2:22PM0.61m | 2:47AM0.67m | 3:18PM0.68m | 3:48AM0.69m | 4:19PM0.71m | 4:44AM0.73m | 5:20PM0.69m | 5:34AM0.75m | 6:12PM0.68m | 6:21AM0.76m | 6:54PM0.68m | ||||||||
8:03 | — | — | 8:03 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | |
— | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 13 | 13 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 6 |
Feels °C | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 2 | -2 | -3 | -1 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | SSE 17 | SSE 19 | SE 18 | SE 15 | SSE 13 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 13 | NE 3 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | ENE 6 | SSE 5 | ESE 13 | ENE 7 | E 8 | SSE 12 |
154 | 135 | 386 | 735 | 449 | 242 | 108 | 68 | 31 | 10 | 16 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 5 | 17 | 85 | 29 | 131 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 15 | SSE 6 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | SE 11 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SE 12 | SE 11 | S 4 | ENE 6 | E 5 | ESE 13 | ESE 17 | ESE 15 |
89 | 22 | 87 | 57 | 56 | 46 | 26 | 25 | 12 | 12 | 5 | 14 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 16 | 58 | 91 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 5 | SSE 15 | ESE 12 | — | ESE 12 | — | — | NE 4 | NE 4 | SE 13 | — | E 11 | SE 12 | E 12 | SE 9 | SE 12 | SE 12 | — | SSE 16 | SE 16 | E 8 |
11 | 87 | 193 | — | 82 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 6 | — | 2 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | — | 25 | 10 | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | — | — | — | — | NNE 3 | — | — | — | — | — | NE 4 | NE 5 | ENE 5 | NE 5 | SSW 4 | — | — | NE 7 | SSW 5 | — |
62 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 35 | 23 | 35 | 22 | — | — | 331 | 60 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 108 | 0 | 0 | 109 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 87 | 87 | 136 | 136 | 87 | 113 | 141 | 87 | 113 | 162 | 136 | 695 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Canterbury | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Lighthouse Reef Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Lighthouse Reef provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Lighthouse Reef can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Lighthouse Reef 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 (Lighthouse Reef) 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 Lighthouse Reef 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.
Lighthouse Reef is 4 km (2 miles) from the city of Timaru. If you plan a holiday in Canterbury, look for hotels and other accommodation in Timaru. Timaru has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










