Surf Forecasts:
Makara surf forecast from 27 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Friday 31 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 7s period, NNW swell with 773 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 Friday (Jul 31) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 4.0m 12s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 01) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Fri 31st Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Makara over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s on offer for Makara over the next couple of weeks.
To be straight with you, this is a tough stretch. The whole 16-day window is pretty much a write-off for any kind of decent surf. We’re looking at a long, dry gap here with no real recommendations. From Monday the 27th of July right through to Monday the 10th of August, it’s all "poor surf conditions" across every single session. That’s a solid two weeks of flat or ugly, wind-whipped junk. For an area like this, a blank run that long isn't unheard of, but it’s still a drag.
Water temp at the start is sitting at 56°, which is about a degree and a half warmer than usual for this time of year. Feels pretty average for a winter surf, nothing wild.
The only real pulse of swell shows up around Thursday the 30th of July and Friday the 31st, with wave heights pushing up to 7 ft from the NNW. Sounds promising, right? Not so fast. That’s dumping into a strong onshore wind, up to 28 mph, making for a messy, lumpy, blown-out sea. The combined swell energy reading is a moderate 283, but with that wind, it’s not doing anyone any favours. This is one of those times where the set-up looks more suited to kite surfing than paddle surfing. The swell period is a short 6 seconds, so it’s just wind-chop, not real groundswell. On Friday the 31st, it’s still onshore and messy, with 6 ft swell from the NW.
There’s a brief glass-off on Monday the 3rd of August in the morning, with a tiny 3 ft swell and no wind, but the swell period is only 4 seconds—barely a ripple. Then we get a glassy afternoon on Tuesday the 4th of August, but the swell is a pathetic 0.3 ft from the NW, even if the period does stretch to 16 seconds. That’s a very long-period pulse, but with that little height, it’s just a flat ocean.
Overall, there’s nothing here that a surfer would get excited about. No standouts. The best you could hope for is a rare, tiny, clean session on one of those glassy days, but you’d need a magic board and a lot of patience. For now, save your energy. Forecasts can always change, but this one’s a real slow burn.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 12°C on Wed afternoon, min 7°C on Mon morning). Winds increasing (calm on Mon night, strong winds from the NNW by Wed night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Sat morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu afternoon, min 7°C on Sat morning). Mainly near gales. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | ESE 13 | NW 7 | ESE 12 | ESE 13 | N 3 | NNW 4 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 7 | NW 6 | NW 7 | NW 14 | NW 13 | NW 8 | S 11 | S 11 | S 12 | S 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 7 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 45 | 184 | 193 | 283 | 773 | 269 | 211 | 72 | 28 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:04PM1.17m | 8:24AM1.15m | 8:41PM1.22m | 9:02AM1.19m | 9:16PM1.26m | 9:37AM1.22m | 9:51PM1.29m | 10:11AM1.24m | 10:25PM1.30m | 10:45AM1.25m | 10:59PM1.30m | 11:20AM1.24m | 11:33PM1.29m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:55PM0.46m | 2:17AM0.46m | 2:34PM0.42m | 2:53AM0.42m | 3:10PM0.38m | 3:29AM0.39m | 3:44PM0.35m | 4:04AM0.36m | 4:18PM0.33m | 4:39AM0.34m | 4:53PM0.33m | 5:16AM0.34m | 5:29PM0.34m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | |  | |  |  | |  | | | |  | | | | | | |
 | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — |
 | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
Feels °C | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | -5 | -3 | 1 | -1 | -3 | -1 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 7 | S 7 | SSE 6 | SE 12 | SE 9 | ESE 13 | SE 13 | ESE 12 | S 15 | ESE 12 | SSW 14 | S 14 | S 12 | S 11 | NW 9 | NW 8 | S 12 | S 11 | SE 13 | — | S 14 |
| kJ | 37 | 45 | 23 | 144 | 42 | 67 | 43 | 59 | 71 | 28 | 36 | 15 | 11 | 10 | 37 | 16 | 2418 | 1593 | 140 | — | 3827 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 13 | SE 13 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | ESE 12 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 14 | SE 12 | SSW 14 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | E 11 | SE 16 | NW 14 | NW 13 | SE 15 | SE 14 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 44 | 43 | 19 | 31 | 59 | 24 | 11 | 16 | 37 | 41 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 10 | 72 | 28 | 83 | 189 | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | ESE 13 | NW 7 | SSW 8 | S 8 | S 7 | S 7 | NW 14 | NW 14 | — | SE 12 | S 14 | SE 12 | SE 15 | — | NW 8 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 7 | 6 | 35 | 2 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 8 | — | 6 | 4 | 6 | 37 | — | 15 | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 3 | NNW 4 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | NNW 7 | NW 6 | NW 7 | S 8 | S 12 | S 12 | — | S 11 | S 12 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | 45 | 184 | 193 | 283 | 773 | 269 | 211 | 609 | 3369 | 4251 | — | 1983 | 3891 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 55 | 77 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 19 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 77 | 55 | 55 | 118 | 55 | 98 | 192 | 55 | 55 | 181 | 55 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Wellington | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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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