Surf Forecasts:
New Brighton Beach surf forecast from 27 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 8s period, ENE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 28 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 8s period, ENE swell with 372 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 8s period with ENE 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 Friday (Aug 28) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 5s. Another secondary swell of 0.8m and 4s is also forecast. 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 1.7m 8s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.5m 12s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for New Brighton Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, let's take a look at what's cookin' for the next couple of weeks. Rusty here, and I'll level with you – it's a lean stretch.
We're looking at a long, quiet spell, especially for a spot like New Brighton Beach. The good news is that New Brighton is fairly exposed to swell, but the bad news is the swell windows just aren't opening. There's a big gap of nothing recommended from the start, with the first real chance for a wave not arriving until the 29th of August. And even then, it's a struggle.
The water's a touch warmer than normal at 51°F, which is a small comfort, but the swell energy is very weak, barely cracking 100 (127) at the best of times. The main issue is the swell is tiny and the wind is often in the wrong place.
The best we've got, and I'm using that term loosely, looks like Saturday morning, the 29th of August. We've got a 1ft swell from the ENE, and the wind is offshore from the WSW at 9 mph. That's a clean slate. The period is a short 8 seconds, so expect some lumpy, weak waves, but it's the only time the wind is truly working for us. It's a "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions" kinda deal, but it's the pick of the litter.
After that, the rest of the 16 days is a real mixed bag of tiny, junk swell, mostly under 2ft, and cross-onshore winds. The swell energy barely registers, often in the double digits, and the wave comments are all "poor surf conditions". You'll see a few moments of glassy conditions on the 5th of September with a 2ft SE swell, but it's still just not enough to get excited about. The Monday morning of the 7th of September has a 4ft NNE swell, but with a 4-second period and a fresh cross-offshore breeze, it's just a messy, weak windswell.
Honestly, for a beach break like this, with such small, weak swell and periods under 8 seconds most of the time, it's just not going to offer much shape. The setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddler if the wind is strong enough. Don't hold your breath for anything overhead.
This is Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri afternoon, min 6°C on Thu morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NE on Thu afternoon, calm by Fri night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun morning, min 5°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun afternoon, strong winds from the SW by Mon night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 17 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | SSE 12 | SSE 13 | SSE 17 | NE 10 | SE 13 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SSE 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 100 | 94 | 153 | 334 | 202 | 67 | 26 | 17 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 47 | 69 | 115 | 15 | 172 | 69 | 33 | 29 | 28 | 11 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | off | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-on | on | off | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:06PM1.86m | 4:22AM1.75m | 4:46PM1.87m | 5:03AM1.77m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:45AM0.31m | 10:17PM0.34m | 10:30AM0.28m | 11:00PM0.31m | 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 | |||||||
 | |  |  |  |  | | |  | | | | |  | | | | | | |  | |
 | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — |
 | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — |
mm | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 7 | 9 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 16 | 16 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 14 | 16 | 15 |
Feels °C | -1 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 7 | -2 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 17 | SSE 17 | SSE 12 | SE 12 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | N 4 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | SSE 12 | SSE 13 | SSE 17 | N 3 | SE 13 | SE 12 | NE 4 | SE 11 | SE 10 | ENE 4 |
| kJ | 100 | 94 | 30 | 23 | 202 | 67 | 12 | 16 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 47 | 69 | 115 | 1 | 172 | 69 | 6 | 29 | 28 | 2 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | SE 12 | — | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | ENE 8 | ESE 13 | NE 3 | SE 12 | S 16 | SE 4 | E 7 | E 9 | ENE 10 | NE 9 | ENE 9 | SE 11 | ENE 4 | E 10 | SSE 10 |
| kJ | 13 | 13 | 5 | — | 13 | 12 | 26 | 17 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 3 | 9 | 33 | 2 | 2 | 11 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | E 16 | — | SE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | SSE 10 | SE 12 | S 16 | SE 12 | ENE 8 | E 12 | NE 9 | NE 10 | — | — | SE 16 | E 10 | E 14 | SE 13 |
| kJ | — | — | 5 | — | 8 | 19 | 17 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 15 | — | — | 10 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 4 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | NNW 3 | N 3 | W 3 | — | — | N 3 | NW 4 | SW 4 | NNW 2 | NW 4 | S 15 | — | — | — | NNW 2 | N 4 | NNW 4 |
| kJ | 14 | 93 | 153 | 334 | 9 | 11 | 1 | — | — | 4 | 16 | 12 | 1 | 16 | 118 | — | — | — | 1 | 24 | 8 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 45 | 255 | 40 | 155 | 20 | 10 | 0 | 33 | 43 | 20 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 154 | 257 | 10 | 40 | 4 | 40 | 154 | 43 |
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.
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