Surf Forecasts:
Makorori North surf forecast from 12 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 11s period, S swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 17 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 21ft (6.5m), 12s period, S swell with 12,741 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 15 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 9s period with ENE 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 Saturday (Aug 15) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.4m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Makorori North in the next 16 days are 6.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 13) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 8ft (2.4m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 9PM (Mon 17th Aug) | 21ft (6.5m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Makorori North over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Makorori North.
Alright, the honest truth is, this stretch of the forecast is a bit of a rough one. We’ve got a big run of messy, blown-out conditions to get through before we see any real quality. The water temp is sitting at 56°, which is about 1° cooler than normal for this time of year – so, pretty average, maybe a touch nippy, but nothing wild.
The first few days are a write-off. Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th are all cross-off or cross winds with poor conditions and a combined energy that barely gets going – Thursday morning’s got a weak 241 (moderate wave energy) on a 4ft SE swell, but that N wind just kills it. Friday gets worse with a 8ft ENE swell but a 30 km/h cross wind smashing it up. Saturday the 15th through to Tuesday the 19th are all strong cross-onshore winds and big, messy surf. By Sunday the 16th afternoon, we’re looking at a 12ft SSW swell with a 2123 combined energy (strong wave energy) and 45 km/h cross-onshore winds – that’s not for paddling, that’s kite-surfing territory if you’re into that. Monday the 17th is a monster: 20ft S swell at 12 seconds, with a massive 11487 combined energy (very strong wave energy), but it’s under a 50 km/h near gale cross-onshore. Totally blown out.
There’s a real standout, though, and it’s worth waiting for. Friday the 21st of August morning is our best bet. We’ve got a clean 5ft S swell at 10 seconds, with a light 10 km/h W cross-off wind and a combined energy of 609 (moderate wave energy). This is “expect good surf conditions” territory. The swell direction (S) isn’t the optimum ENE for this break, but with clean offshore wind and that solid, workable size, it’ll be the pick of the fortnight. Keep in mind crowds are sometimes an issue here, so get in early.
Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd mornings offer small, clean waves under 3ft, but they’re just ordinary. Then Monday the 24th morning brings another clean window: a 4ft S swell at 10 seconds, with a light 10 km/h NW offshore wind and a combined energy of 292 (moderate wave energy). That’s also a solid “expect good surf conditions” call, just smaller than the Friday peak.
After that, the second week drops off into tiny, weak surf. Tuesday the 25th through Friday the 28th are all under 3ft, with very long period groundswell (14 seconds) on the 25th and 26th, but that’s for the reefs and points – at a beach-and-reef break like Makorori North, that long period can make it break a bit too straight. There’s a glassy morning on Wednesday the 26th with a 1ft ESE swell, but it’s barely rideable.
So, bottom line: the first week is mostly a mess. The real standout is Friday the 21st of August morning – clean, 5ft S swell, light offshore wind. That’s the one to circle. Monday the 24th morning is a decent backup. Everything else is either blown out or too small.
Stay patient, mates. Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 51mm), heaviest during Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri night, min 11°C on Thu morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the NE on Fri night, strong winds from the SW by Sat night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 32mm), heaviest during Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 11°C on Sun morning, min 7°C on Mon morning). Winds decreasing (near gales from the SSW on Mon night, fresh winds from the SW by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SE 9 | SE 8 | NE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | SSW 9 | S 11 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
176 | 97 | 200 | 229 | 587 | 1543 | 617 | 616 | 641 | 421 | 1777 | 5861 | 7870 | 11415 | 11042 | 5720 | 4932 | 3988 | 4119 | 4063 | 2224 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 6:08PM1.65m | 6:34AM1.54m | 7:03PM1.66m | 7:29AM1.55m | 7:55PM1.65m | 8:22AM1.54m | 8:46PM1.61m | 9:13AM1.52m | 9:35PM1.56m | 10:03AM1.49m | 10:24PM1.49m | 10:52AM1.45m | 11:11PM1.43m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:51AM0.03m | 00:29AM0.06m | 12:48PM0.02m | 1:24AM0.04m | 1:42PM0.03m | 2:17AM0.03m | 2:35PM0.06m | 3:07AM0.05m | 3:27PM0.10m | 3:55AM0.09m | 4:16PM0.15m | 4:42AM0.14m | 5:05PM0.21m | ||||||||
6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | |
— | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | |
mm | 1 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Temp °C | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
Feels °C | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 3 | -1 | -2 | -3 | -4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSE 9 | ENE 9 | E 9 | E 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 | E 10 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | — | E 9 | E 10 | — | — | SE 12 |
176 | 97 | 41 | 20 | 16 | 999 | 617 | 616 | 641 | 421 | 225 | 190 | 87 | 72 | 35 | — | 16 | 8 | — | — | 37 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 10 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | ESE 14 | SSE 9 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | SSW 16 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 12 |
48 | 42 | 25 | 25 | 20 | 8 | 18 | 18 | 53 | 217 | 121 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 36 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 12 | S 15 | S 15 | S 18 | SSW 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
17 | 17 | 26 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 111 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 9 | — | — | — | SSW 6 | SSW 9 | S 11 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 |
21 | 68 | 200 | 229 | 587 | 1543 | — | — | — | 239 | 1777 | 5861 | 7870 | 11415 | 11042 | 5720 | 4932 | 3988 | 4119 | 4063 | 2224 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 9 | 9 | 54 | 96 | 9 | 52 | 54 | 18 | 114 | 116 | 113 | 116 | 116 | 300 | 118 | 116 | 116 | 116 | 116 | 45 |
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.











