
Surf Forecasts:
New Brighton Beach surf forecast from 14 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 17 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 17s period, E swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 18 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 16s period, E swell with 589 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 16 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 17s period with E 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 Thursday (Jul 16) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at New Brighton Beach in the next 16 days are 1.1m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 18) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 10s period and expected on Friday (Jul 17) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Thu 16th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Fri 17th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Sat 18th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for New Brighton Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for the next couple of weeks. It's been a bit quiet, and I've gotta be straight with you – the first solid recommendation isn't until Saturday, July 18th, so we're looking at a few days with nothing worth paddling out for. After that, there's a real mixed bag, with another quiet spell before a little pulse of energy later on.
Right, we kick things off proper on Saturday, July 18th at New Brighton Beach. Saturday morning is our standout. We've got a clean 3ft swell pushing in from the east with a nice long period of 15 seconds – that's proper groundswell energy. The wind is light offshore from the west-southwest, so it's going to be glassy and lined up perfectly for a beginner-friendly break like this. The combined swell energy is sitting at a solid moderate level (505), so there's enough push to get you moving. Water temp here is 50°, about average for this time of year. Not anything to worry about, just normal winter temps. Sunday the 19th is still worth a look – 2ft easterly swell, clean with the same offshore wind in the morning. It's smaller, but it'll be fun for a longboard or a mini-mal.
Now, after Sunday it drops right off. We get a few days of tiny, clean waves, but nothing with enough size or energy to really get excited about. Monday the 20th has a glassy 1ft south-southeast swell, but it's gutless. Tuesday the 21st, same story. There's even a period where the combined energy drops into the double digits (less than 100), which is just weak.
Then we get another little window. The real promise is for Saturday, July 25th. Early morning, the swell bumps up a touch to 2ft from the east, period of 15 seconds, and it's looking glassy with a light west-southwest breeze. By the afternoon of the 25th, the wind swings to a light north-easterly and it's still glassy, with the swell nudging up to 2ft. The combined energy hits the 100s (153), so there's some life in it. It's not big, but for a spot like New Brighton that's inconsistent, this is a nice little run. Keep an eye on the morning of the 28th of July too – 3ft easterly swell with a 12-second period and a clean offshore wind. It's a bit further out, so the certainty drops, but it's a promising sign to end the period.
So, to sum it up: Saturday the 18th is your best bet, no question about it. Sunday the 19th is a solid second option if you miss it. After that, it's a waiting game until Saturday the 25th for another chance at some glassy, small waves. Stay patient, keep your eye on the forecast, and for now, this is what we've got.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue afternoon, min 8°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Sat night. Very mild (max 10°C on Fri afternoon, min 5°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tue 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | E 12 | E 12 | NE 5 | E 13 | E 16 | E 17 | E 17 | E 16 | E 16 | E 15 | E 14 | ESE 14 | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | SSE 17 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
16 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 31 | 83 | 270 | 351 | 520 | 496 | 453 | 423 | 254 | 176 | 125 | 78 | 117 | 53 | 46 | 43 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-on | on | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | glassy | on | glassy | glassy |
High Tide | 4:19PM2.24m | 4:42AM2.05m | 5:15PM2.26m | 5:38AM2.06m | 6:10PM2.24m | 6:34AM2.05m | 7:05PM2.18m | 7:31AM2.01m | 8:00PM2.09m | 8:28AM1.95m | 8:56PM2.00m | 9:27AM1.89m | 9:51PM1.90m | 10:24AM1.84m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:40PM0.05m | 10:58AM-0.07m | 11:37PM0.01m | 11:56AM-0.07m | 00:33AM0.00m | 12:52PM-0.04m | 1:28AM0.02m | 1:48PM0.02m | 2:22AM0.06m | 2:44PM0.10m | 3:15AM0.12m | 3:38PM0.20m | 4:07AM0.19m | ||||||||
— | — | 7:56 | — | — | 7:56 | — | — | 7:56 | — | — | 7:54 | — | — | 7:54 | — | — | 7:54 | — | — | 7:52 | |
5:10 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | 5:16 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
Feels °C | 10 | 14 | 9 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | NE 4 | ENE 8 | NE 5 | NE 4 | E 16 | E 17 | E 17 | E 16 | E 16 | E 15 | E 14 | ESE 14 | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 |
16 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 13 | 4 | 83 | 270 | 351 | 520 | 496 | 453 | 423 | 254 | 176 | 125 | 78 | 49 | 48 | 46 | 43 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | ENE 5 | E 12 | E 12 | E 13 | NW 3 | ENE 7 | S 15 | SE 16 | SE 15 | NE 4 | SSE 23 | SSE 23 | SSE 20 | SSE 16 | SE 9 | SSE 18 | SSE 17 | SSE 16 | SSE 8 | NE 4 |
2 | 4 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 2 | 5 | 18 | 61 | 60 | 2 | 52 | 209 | 140 | 52 | 12 | 67 | 117 | 53 | 6 | 4 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 13 | S 19 | — | E 11 | E 13 | S 6 | NNE 5 | — | S 15 | SSE 8 | S 23 | — | — | SE 4 | SSE 16 | SSE 8 | — | SE 8 | SSE 13 | SE 8 |
— | 4 | 7 | — | 9 | 31 | 1 | 3 | — | 157 | 7 | 510 | — | — | 2 | 24 | 14 | — | 10 | 17 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 3 | N 3 | ESE 3 | — | — | SW 16 | — | — | — | — | NNE 4 | — | — | S 5 | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | NNE 4 |
9 | 8 | 4 | — | — | 10 | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 12 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 249 | 43 | 33 | 20 | 33 | 31 | 43 | 0 | 20 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Canterbury | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











