Surf Forecasts:
New Brighton Beach surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 31 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 1ft (0.3m), 12s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 16s period, SSE swell with 232 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 31 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 1ft (0.3m), 12s period with SSE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for New Brighton Beach this week:
The surf forecast for New Brighton Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 31) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.3m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 4s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at New Brighton Beach in the next 16 days are 0.7m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 12s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Mon 31st Aug) | 1ft (0.3m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Mon 31st Aug) | 1ft (0.3m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for New Brighton Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what New Brighton Beach has cookin’ for the next couple of weeks. Gotta be straight with you – this is a grim stretch. We’re lookin’ at a long, flat spell with hardly anything worth paddlin’ out for. The first real chance of even a tiny wave doesn’t show up until Wednesday, September 2nd, and even that’s a bit of a stretch.
The water temp is sittin’ around 50°, which is a full 2° warmer than usual for this time of year. It’s a little touch of tropical in an otherwise bleak outlook.
For the first few days, from Saturday, August 29th right through Tuesday, September 1st, it’s basically a write-off. We’re talkin’ tiny, weak swells with combined energy barely breakin’ 50 (52 down to 11). The wind’s all over the place, but the waves just aren’t there. You’d be better off takin’ the dog for a walk.
Then Wednesday, September 2nd rolls around, and we finally get a pulse. Swell comes in from the SSE at 2ft, but with a 16-second period – that’s proper long-period groundswell. The combined energy jumps to 235 (moderate), which sounds promising. But here’s the rub: New Brighton is a beach break, and that long-period swell is gonna make things a bit too straight and walled. It’s not gonna be a classic. Wind is light and cross-offshore, so the surface will be clean. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. The morning and afternoon both rate a 1/10 on the scale of stoke.
After that, it’s back to the doldrums. Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th are basically flat again. Friday afternoon sees a brief moment of glassy conditions with a tiny 1ft swell from the SE, but it’s just enough to get the hopes up and then crush ‘em.
The weekend of the 6th? A bit of a bump on Sunday the 6th with 4ft from the ENE, but the wind is a moderate cross-shore, making it messy. The combined energy hits 319 (moderate), but the surf quality is just poor. It’s not a paddle session; it’s more of a kitesurfing setup.
We get a few more little bumps on the 12th of September, with a 2ft swell from the SE and some glassy conditions in the afternoon. Combined energy is around 103 (moderate). It’s surfable, but again, very ordinary.
And then, far out on the horizon, Sunday the 13th of September has a late pulse of SSE swell at 2ft with a 18-second period. The combined energy is 224 (moderate). It’s a long-range promise, so don’t hold your breath. The wind is light and cross-offshore, so it’ll be clean. But for a beach break, that extra-long period is a bit of a curse.
Honestly, there’s no standout session here. The best you’ll get is a few clean, knee-high waves on the 2nd or the 12th. It’s a tough time to be a surfer in these parts. Forecasts can change, but for now, leave the board in the car.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Mon night. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun morning, min 5°C on Sun night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Thu morning, min 4°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Tue morning, calm by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NNW 4 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | SSE 12 | SSE 13 | NE 9 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 16 | SSE 16 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | NE 5 | N 4 | NE 5 | SE 9 | SE 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
25 | 25 | 23 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 52 | 34 | 3 | 90 | 91 | 136 | 232 | 226 | 70 | 26 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 22 | 10 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | on | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross |
High Tide | 5:26PM1.87m | 5:45AM1.79m | 6:08PM1.86m | 6:30AM1.81m | 6:52PM1.84m | 7:17AM1.83m | 7:40PM1.82m | 8:07AM1.84m | 8:31PM1.80m | 9:02AM1.87m | 9:27PM1.78m | 10:02AM1.89m | 10:27PM1.79m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:15AM0.26m | 11:44PM0.28m | 12:01PM0.25m | 00:29AM0.27m | 12:49PM0.26m | 1:15AM0.26m | 1:39PM0.27m | 2:04AM0.26m | 2:32PM0.28m | 2:55AM0.25m | 3:27PM0.29m | 3:49AM0.24m | 4:24PM0.29m | ||||||||
7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | |
— | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:05 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 14 | 9 | 16 | 16 | 9 | 10 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 9 |
Feels °C | 10 | 11 | 5 | 11 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 4 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | SSE 12 | SSE 13 | NE 9 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 16 | SSE 16 | SSE 13 | NE 5 | NE 5 | SE 9 | NE 5 | SE 9 | SE 6 |
25 | 25 | 23 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 52 | 34 | 3 | 90 | 91 | 136 | 232 | 226 | 70 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 12 | 22 | 5 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | E 12 | — | E 10 | — | NE 9 | SSE 4 | E 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SSE 12 | SSE 10 | SE 11 | NNW 3 | NE 8 | SE 16 |
17 | 17 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3 | — | 2 | — | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 26 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 11 | 10 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | S 16 | S 16 | — | E 7 | E 11 | — | — | E 10 | — | — | SE 13 | — | NE 8 | E 11 | E 10 | N 3 | SSE 3 | S 15 |
10 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 5 | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | 2 | — | — | 6 | — | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 3 | — | NNW 3 | NNW 4 | NW 3 | SSW 3 | WNW 3 | NW 3 | S 3 | SW 3 | SW 3 | — | N 3 | NNW 4 | NNE 4 | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | N 4 | SSW 2 | SW 3 | NNW 3 |
1 | — | 1 | 4 | 5 | 15 | 1 | 8 | 14 | 4 | 3 | — | 1 | 19 | 22 | 10 | 16 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 2 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 4 | 31 | 20 | 33 | 36 | 20 | 5 | 43 | 177 | 155 | 155 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 43 | 49 | 43 | 124 | 33 | 20 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Canterbury | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Information about the New Brighton Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for New Brighton Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at New Brighton Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our New Brighton Beach 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 (New Brighton Beach) 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 New Brighton Beach 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 Canterbury? If you are looking for accommodation near New Brighton Beach, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Canterbury, consider staying in Christchurch which is 10 km (6 miles) away.











