Nazare Big Wave Challenge Gets Yellow Alert, Could Run Saturday in Giant Waves
70-foot plus waves predicted for Portuguese big wave tow surfing competition.
Surf Forecasts:

The most powerful waves expected at Makara in the next 12 days are 1.7m 6s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Dec 16) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 7s period and expected on Wednesday (Dec 17) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Tue 16th Dec) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Makara over the next 12 days.
Short Range Forecast Mostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun afternoon, min 12°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the S on Thu night, calm by Sat night). | Days 3-6 Weather Summary Heavy rain (total 39mm), heaviest during Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue morning, min 12°C on Wed morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the N on Tue morning, light winds from the NW by Tue night). | |||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 12 | Saturday 13 | Sunday 14 | Monday 15 | Tuesday 16 | Wednesday 17 | Thu 18 | ||||||||||||||||
| Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | ||
Rating (10 max) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Swell Height Map | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wave Height (m) & direction (?) | N | NW | N | N | N | N | S | S | N | NNW | NNW | NW | NNW | NNW | NNW | NNW | NW | NW | NNW | NW | NW | |
| Period(s) (?) | 4 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | |
Wave (?)Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 68 | 106 | 166 | 179 | 103 | 68 | 19 | 28 | 8 | 2 | 2 | ||
Wind (km/h) | NNE | S | SSE | SSE | SSE | SSE | SSE | N | N | N | NNW | NW | NNW | N | NNW | N | SSW | S | S | SSE | SSE | |
| Wind State (?) onshore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore offshore glassy | cross- on | cross- off | off | cross- off | off | cross- off | glass | cross- on | cross- on | cross- on | cross- on | on | on | cross- on | cross- on | cross- on | cross- off | cross- off | cross- off | cross- off | cross- off | |
High Tide / height (m) | 3:30AM 1.08 | 3:56PM 1.11 | 4:26AM 1.05 | 4:55PM 1.07 | 5:28AM 1.04 | 5:56PM 1.06 | 6:37AM 1.05 | 6:56PM 1.07 | 7:35AM 1.08 | 7:49PM 1.08 | 8:21AM 1.12 | 8:35PM 1.11 | 9:00AM 1.17 | |||||||||
Low Tide / height (m) | 9:40AM 0.50 | 10:16PM 0.49 | 10:39AM 0.53 | 11:15PM 0.50 | 11:44AM 0.54 | 12:18AM 0.49 | 12:50PM 0.53 | 1:16AM 0.47 | 1:47PM 0.50 | 2:05AM 0.45 | 2:32PM 0.47 | 2:48AM 0.43 | 3:12PM 0.45 | |||||||||
Friday 12 | Saturday 13 | Sunday 14 | Monday 15 | Tuesday 16 | Wednesday 17 | Thu 18 | ||||||||||||||||
| Sunrise | - | 5:41 | - | - | 5:41 | - | - | 5:41 | - | - | 5:41 | - | - | 5:41 | - | - | 5:41 | - | - | 5:43 | - | |
| Sunset | - | - | 8:46 | - | - | 8:47 | - | - | 8:49 | - | - | 8:49 | - | - | 8:50 | - | - | 8:51 | - | - | 8:51 | |
Rain (mm) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 15 | 18 | 5 | 1 | - | - | - | |
| Temp. °C | 16 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | |
| Feels °C (?) | 11 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 8 | |

70-foot plus waves predicted for Portuguese big wave tow surfing competition.

Surf-forecast is providing a free, all-access pass to our premium features and 12-day forecasts all weekend.

Previously used in our snow jackets for mountain conditions, PrimaLoft® technology is making its debut in the surf industry. The aim is to bring mountain-grade warmth to the waves.

Surf-Forecast recently helped the 21-year-old Canadian pro surfer and adventurer score some cold water perfection at home.
Discover more articles and updates in the Greenroom.
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.
The above surf forecast table for Makara provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 12 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.

