New Brighton Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 43.47° S 172.72° E

New Brighton Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 25 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's New Brighton Beach sea temperature is
9.6° C
0.1° 

New Brighton Beach surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


New Brighton Beach surf forecast from 25 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 27 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 13s period, E swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 14s period, E swell with 489 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 25 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 17s period with ESE 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 Saturday (Jul 25) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at New Brighton Beach in the next 16 days are 1.1m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.0m 9s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 01) at 12AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 9PM (Sat 25th Jul)1.5ft (0.4m) 17s
Best Surf 3AM (Mon 27th Jul)2.5ft (0.8m) 13s
Most Powerful 9PM (Tue 28th Jul)3.5ft (1.1m) 14s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for New Brighton Beach over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Right, let’s have a look at the surf over the next couple of weeks for New Brighton Beach. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, but there are some real gems hiding in there.

First up, the water is sitting at 49°F right now, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The outlook starts off pretty ordinary. Saturday the 25th of July is a write-off with tiny, weak swell and rain. Not worth paddling out for. Sunday the 26th is a little better – we’re looking at a clean 2ft easterly groundswell with a long period of 15 seconds, and a light offshore breeze in the morning. The energy is moderate (207), so there’s a bit of life in the water, but it’s still on the small side for a proper session.

Monday the 27th brings a cleaner picture. The swell bumps up to 3ft, still from the east, with a period of 13 seconds. The wind is light offshore in the morning, and then Monday afternoon you get glassy conditions – a light breeze from the north-northwest. That’s a rare treat. The energy is moderate (228–235). This is a solid, fun little wave for a beginner, but it’s not going to blow your socks off.

Now, the standout comes on Tuesday the 28th of July. The morning is absolute magic: calm, glassy conditions, with a clean 3ft easterly swell, period of 13 seconds, and the combined energy is up to 340 (moderate). The water will be clean, no wind at all. This is the best on offer in the first week. The swell is small enough for beginners to handle, but it’s got enough push for a longboard or a funboard. The only downside is that New Brighton is inconsistent, so you’ll need to be patient between sets. But when the sets come, they’ll be clean and lined up.

Wednesday the 29th of July is also a beauty – another morning with glassy, calm conditions, 3ft east swell, 13-second period, and moderate energy (291). Another great, clean session.

After that, things get a bit messy. Thursday the 30th sees a cross-shore wind pick up, and the swell drops back to 2–2ft. The energy drops off too. The rest of the week is a bit of a washout with small, weak swell and onshore winds. From Friday the 31st through to Monday the 3rd of August, the swell is mostly under 2ft, the energy is weak (26–157), and the conditions are just ordinary. You’d be better off doing something else.

Then there’s a big gap of no real surf until the 4th of August. That Tuesday morning things get interesting again, but it’s a tricky one. The swell jumps to 7ft from the east-northeast, with a period of 11 seconds, but the wind is onshore and the energy is very strong (1274). That kind of size and power is only for experienced surfers, and with onshore wind, it’s going to be a messy, choppy close-out. For the rest of that week, the swell stays big (5ft to 8ft), and the wind is predominantly onshore or cross-onshore, making it mostly poor for paddle surfing. This setup would actually be more interesting for kite surfing than a traditional surf session.

The best bet in the second week, if you’re an expert, is the morning of the 8th of August. The swell drops to a more manageable 5ft from the east, period of 11 seconds, and the wind is a light cross-onshore. The energy is moderate (452). It’s not perfect, but it’s the cleanest of that big, windy period.

So, to wrap it up: the first week’s standout is Tuesday the 28th of July, with glassy conditions and a clean 3ft east swell. The second week is a bit of a write-off for clean, fun waves, with a lot of onshore wind and big, messy surf. The best of it would be the 8th of August for experts only.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 10°C on Mon afternoon, min 3°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu afternoon, min 7°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light.

Saturday
25
Sunday
26
Monday
27
Tuesday
28
Wednesday
29
Thursday
30
Friday
31
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
0
1
2
2
1
0
0
0
1
1
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
ENE
7
0.3
ESE
18
0.5
E
16
0.6
E
15
0.6
E
14
0.7
E
13
0.8
E
13
0.8
E
13
1
E
13
1
E
13
1.1
E
13
1.1
E
14
0.9
E
13
0.9
E
13
0.8
E
12
0.7
E
12
0.6
E
12
0.5
E
12
0.5
E
12
0.4
E
12
0.4
E
11
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
20
61
132
157
148
176
222
215
356
340
411
439
280
268
193
146
103
68
68
47
39
Wind (km/h)
25
SW
25
SW
10
WSW
10
WSW
15
SW
5
W
10
W
5
NNW
5
WNW
5
N
10
E
10
ENE
0
N
5
E
5
W
5
NNW
25
NNW
20
NNE
15
WSW
15
WSW
20
WSW
Wind State
off
off
off
off
off
off
off
glassy
glassy
glassy
on
on
glassy
glassy
glassy
cross
cross
cross-on
off
off
off
High Tide
1:51PM1.79m
2:08AM1.68m
2:35PM1.81m
2:51AM1.69m
3:18PM1.83m
3:33AM1.71m
3:59PM1.86m
4:15AM1.72m
4:41PM1.87m
4:56AM1.72m
5:21PM1.87m
5:37AM1.72m
6:01PM1.86m
Low Tide
7:56PM0.47m
8:08AM0.41m
8:42PM0.46m
8:52AM0.39m
9:26PM0.44m
9:36AM0.37m
10:10PM0.41m
10:20AM0.34m
10:54PM0.38m
11:04AM0.31m
11:37PM0.36m
11:47AM0.30m
00:20AM0.34m
mod rain
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
light rain
cloud
mod rain
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:50
7:48
7:48
7:47
7:46
7:43
7:43
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:21
5:22
5:22
5:23
5:24
5:25
5:27
 mm
6
2
2
7
Temp °C
7
7
5
6
8
6
7
10
8
8
9
9
8
10
10
12
15
13
10
10
9
Feels °C
1
1
1
2
3
3
4
7
5
5
5
5
6
8
8
9
8
6
6
6
6
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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