
Surf Forecasts:
Makorori North surf forecast from 9 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 15 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 11s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 16 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 12s period, SSW swell with 7,180 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 9 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 11s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Makorori North this week:
The surf forecast for Makorori North over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 09) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 13s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Makorori North in the next 16 days are 5.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 16) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 4.5m 10s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 15) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Sun 9th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Sat 15th Aug) | 15ft (4.5m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Sun 16th Aug) | 16ft (5.0m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Makorori North over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what's coming our way for Makorori North. Gotta be straight with you – this forecast is a mixed bag and patience will be the name of the game. We've got a long, quiet start, a few promising windows, and then a massive pulse of swell that’s going to be way too much for this spot.
The water temp is sitting at 56°F, which is about average for this time of year, so the old steamer will be doing its job.
For the first few days, it’s pretty quiet. Sunday the 9th and Monday the 10th have some small, weak swell in the water but the conditions are a bit average and there’s just not enough to get excited about. It's a bit of a gap, really.
Tuesday the 11th sees a bump, with a 6ft SSW swell rolling in but the wind is a messy cross-shore, creating a chop that kills any chance of a clean wave. Not the one.
Now, Wednesday morning the 12th is where we get our first real glimpse of something good. The wind goes glassy with a light NNW breeze, and while the swell is only 4ft from the SSE, the combined energy is weak at 227, it'll be smooth as butter. It's a classic low-key glassy session for those who can work with small waves.
Thursday the 13th morning picks up a bit better. A 5ft ESE swell pushes the combined energy up to a moderate 405, and with a clean cross-off wind from the N, this is a solid, clean option for a morning surf. This is one of the better windows in the early part of the run.
Friday the 14th is a write-off with 25 mph winds blowing straight through. Stay at home.
Alright, here's the standout. Saturday the 15th. Saturday morning is looking like the best of the best. We’ve got a solid 7ft E swell with a period of 10 seconds, pushing combined energy to a strong 796. The wind is light from the N, keeping it clean. This is a good, punchy winter swell right in the optimal ENE direction for this break. Get on it early.
Sunday the 16th is where things go off the rails. An absolutely massive 16ft SSW groundswell shows up late, with a very long 12-second period and insane energy of 12200. That is way, *way* over the limit for Makorori North. This is expert-only territory, and honestly, with those conditions, this setup looks far more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The same goes for Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th – giant, messy, and dangerous. Not for the average punter.
After that big pulse fades, we get a slight clean-up on Wednesday the 19th morning, with a 7ft S swell and a gentler cross-off wind, but it’s still a bit chunky.
Now, looking further out, we’ve got a promising long-range call for Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st. Thursday morning the 20th looks glassy and clean with a 4ft S swell and a very long 13-second period, which will give nice lines. Combined energy is a moderate 689, and it’ll be clean with a light W breeze. Friday morning the 21st also has a clean 5ft S swell. Mark those in your diary, but remember, it’s a week and a half away so keep an eye on it.
The last few days of the outlook drop back to tiny, junky conditions.
So, to sum it up: your best bets are Saturday morning the 15th for the best all-round swell and conditions, and the Thursday morning the 20th as a promising but less certain longer-range call. The in-between is mostly a write-off or, for a brief window, a glassy small-wave session.
Stay safe, and watch for the cleanup sets on that big weekend. This is Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon afternoon, min 9°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Fri night. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri afternoon, min 9°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NE on Fri morning, calm by Sat morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | ||||||||||||||
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) | S 11 | S 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 12 | SSW 9 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 8 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | E 10 | ENE 10 | SSW 12 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
326 | 390 | 187 | 173 | 344 | 477 | 331 | 198 | 216 | 134 | 294 | 254 | 151 | 136 | 233 | 243 | 621 | 783 | 598 | 6470 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:36AM1.47m | 3:13PM1.56m | 3:37AM1.49m | 4:13PM1.59m | 4:38AM1.51m | 5:12PM1.63m | 5:37AM1.53m | 6:08PM1.65m | 6:34AM1.54m | 7:03PM1.66m | 7:29AM1.55m | 7:55PM1.65m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:28PM0.19m | 8:52AM0.11m | 9:29PM0.16m | 9:52AM0.09m | 10:31PM0.13m | 10:52AM0.06m | 11:31PM0.09m | 11:51AM0.03m | 00:29AM0.06m | 12:48PM0.02m | 1:24AM0.04m | 1:42PM0.03m | 2:17AM0.03m | |||||||
— | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | |
5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | |
mm | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 7 | 3 | 12 | — | 3 | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 |
Feels °C | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 14 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | S 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 12 | S 9 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 10 | ENE 10 | E 10 |
326 | 390 | 187 | 173 | 344 | 257 | 275 | 198 | 216 | 94 | 294 | 254 | 151 | 136 | 108 | 172 | 621 | 783 | 598 | 255 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 14 | NNE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | SSE 12 | S 18 | S 9 | NNE 9 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 14 | SW 4 | — | SSW 22 |
304 | 22 | 8 | 9 | 14 | 260 | 55 | 122 | 7 | 62 | 74 | 49 | 47 | 25 | 101 | 91 | 18 | 3 | — | 46 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | NE 12 | NE 12 | NE 12 | NE 11 | NE 6 | NNE 6 | NNE 10 | NE 10 | ESE 12 | NNE 8 | ESE 13 | SE 10 | SE 13 | E 8 | NE 10 | SSE 8 | S 15 | — | — |
11 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 4 | 11 | 4 | 14 | 7 | 16 | 26 | 26 | 36 | 16 | 7 | 4 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 4 | — | — | — | — | SSW 9 | S 8 | — | — | ESE 9 | NE 4 | NNE 7 | NE 5 | NE 6 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | — | SW 4 | SSW 8 | SSW 12 |
12 | — | — | — | — | 477 | 331 | — | — | 134 | 11 | 86 | 31 | 54 | 233 | 243 | — | 9 | 1319 | 6470 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 6 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 52 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 14 | 300 | 97 | 96 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gisborne and Mahia | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Makorori North Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Makorori North provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Makorori North can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Makorori North 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 (Makorori North) 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 Makorori North 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.
Are you planning a holiday in Gisborne and Mahia? If you are looking for accommodation near Makorori North, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Gisborne and Mahia, consider staying in Gisborne which is 13 km (8 miles) away.











