Surf Forecasts:
Makara surf forecast from 10 Sep 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 7s period, NNW swell with 586 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Makara this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Makara in the next 16 days are 2.5m 7s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.3m 13s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 12) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Makara over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
No good surf options for the first stretch—it’s flat and gutless from now through Tuesday the 15th. Tiny 0.1m to 0.3m swells, weak energy readings in the teens, and choppy cross-onshore winds make it a no-go. A couple of glassy mornings on Friday 11th and Saturday 12th, but there’s nothing to ride. Just don’t bother.
The first real pulse shows up Wednesday the 16th: 2.5m of NW windswell, 7-second period, but energy jumps to 586. Onshore wind at 45 km/h makes it rough, and with that short period it won’t have any shape. Then Saturday the 19th is the big one—morning 3.0m, afternoon 4.0m, with energy up to 966 then 2267. That’s serious water moving, but it’s still short-period and wind-blown with strong onshore flow. This is big, heavy, and messy—only for experienced surfers, and honestly might be more fun for the kite surfers. The 25th offers another 2.2m pulse with energy around 388–393, but still short-period and cross-onshore.
Makara is a fairly consistent spot, but the whole 16-day window is average at best. Crowds are possible when it shows, but there’s no clean standout here. Water temp is normal for the season. There’s a gap from the 20th to the 24th with nasty near-gale winds and rain—not worth the drive. So if you’re paddling out, pick the 19th if you’re after size, or the 25th if you can handle the chop. Otherwise, keep the board in the car and wait for a better week.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Thu night. Very mild (max 13°C on Fri afternoon, min 8°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NNW on Fri morning, calm by Sat morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Tue night, min 10°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun night, near gales from the NNW by Wed morning). | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | ||||||||||||||
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) | NW 20 | NW 19 | NNW 5 | NNW 6 | NW 16 | NW 16 | NW 17 | NW 17 | NW 6 | NW 16 | NW 16 | NW 16 | NW 15 | NNW 4 | NNW 5 | NW 6 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 15 | 57 | 56 | 12 | 11 | 43 | 45 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 30 | 73 | 352 | 586 | 162 | 33 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | on | cross-on | off | glassy | off | on | glassy | off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:01AM1.29m | 9:19PM1.34m | 9:40AM1.30m | 9:57PM1.33m | 10:17AM1.30m | 10:33PM1.30m | 10:52AM1.28m | 11:07PM1.26m | 11:26AM1.24m | 11:41PM1.20m | 12:01PM1.19m | 00:17AM1.14m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:51AM0.26m | 3:10PM0.25m | 3:32AM0.23m | 3:49PM0.24m | 4:11AM0.24m | 4:27PM0.27m | 4:48AM0.26m | 5:03PM0.31m | 5:24AM0.31m | 5:40PM0.37m | 6:00AM0.36m | 6:19PM0.44m | |||||||
 |  | |  | | |  | | | |  | | | | | |  | |  | |
 | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — |
 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:10 | — |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 |
Temp °C | 9 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 11 |
Feels °C | 0 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | S 7 | S 6 | S 16 | S 16 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 12 | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | NNW 7 | S 7 |
| kJ | 41 | 55 | 19 | 131 | 386 | 1256 | 1617 | 750 | 517 | 451 | 383 | 277 | 156 | 81 | 56 | 24 | 14 | 162 | 86 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 19 | S 18 | SSW 17 | NNW 6 | NNW 5 | NW 16 | NW 17 | NW 4 | NW 6 | NNW 5 | NW 16 | NW 16 | S 15 | S 15 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | NNW 7 |
| kJ | 30 | 150 | 99 | 12 | 3 | 43 | 45 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 33 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 20 | NW 19 | NW 18 | NW 8 | NW 16 | — | — | NW 17 | NW 17 | NW 16 | — | — | NW 15 | NW 15 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | — | S 14 |
| kJ | 15 | 57 | 51 | 10 | 11 | — | — | 12 | 11 | 10 | — | — | 9 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 4 | — | 16 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | NW 2 | NNW 5 | S 3 | S 6 | — | — | — | — | — | N 3 | N 3 | NNW 6 | NNW 4 | NNW 5 | NW 6 | NNW 7 | S 3 | — |
| kJ | 263 | 1 | 56 | 5 | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 6 | 3 | 30 | 73 | 352 | 586 | 6 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 55 | 52 | 55 | 55 | 19 | 19 | 52 | 15 | 55 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 52 | 52 | 79 | 118 | 103 | 98 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Wellington | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Makara surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
Information about the Makara Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Makara provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Makara can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Makara 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 (Makara) 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 Makara 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.
Makara is 10 km (6 miles) from the city of Wellington. If you plan a holiday in Wellington, look for hotels and other accommodation in Wellington. Wellington has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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