Surf Forecasts:
New Brighton Beach surf forecast from 15 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 16 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 7s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 13s period, SSE swell with 491 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 16 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s 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 Sunday (Aug 16) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 7s. 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 1.2m 13s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 6PM. 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 14s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Sun 16th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Sun 16th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for New Brighton Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty. Let's get into it.
Look, it's gonna be a bit of a patience test for us at New Brighton Beach over the next couple of weeks. We've got a long run of small, ordinary surf that's honestly more for a cruise than a proper session. The water temp is sitting at about 50°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so nothing shocking there.
We kick off on Saturday the 15th with a bit of light rain and a stiff 15 mph SW wind. There's a tiny 2ft, 7-second swell, but the energy is weak and the conditions are just poor. Sunday the 16th offers a little more hope with a WSW wind and a 2ft, 9-second swell, but it's still very ordinary. The energy picks up a bit Sunday afternoon though, hitting that moderate zone with a 3ft ENE swell, but it's just marginal.
Monday the 17th is the first real glimmer. The morning has a light WSW offshore, and we get a 2ft, 10-second swell. Decent enough for a beginner. But the standout moment is Monday afternoon. We get a WNW wind turning glassy at 3 mph. That'll put a real shine on the 2ft, 10-second swell. For a couple of hours there it'll look pretty.
After that, it's a long, drawn-out gap of barely surfable stuff. Tuesday the 18th through to Friday the 21st are all about poor conditions or tiny waves, mostly under 2ft. There's a weird spike Wednesday morning the 19th with a 1ft, 16-second groundswell from the SSE, but it's got weak energy and small size. That long period will make it straight and fast, not really what you want at a beach break. It's a kite setup more than a paddle session on some of those stronger wind days, like Tuesday afternoon with 22 mph cross-off conditions.
We finally get a proper window much later. Saturday the 29th of August is the best on offer. The morning brings a 5ft, 9-second swell from the east, with a light WSW offshore wind. The energy jumps, which is solid. That's the one to circle on the calendar. It's not huge, but for this stretch it's the clear winner and it'll be clean. Just know that it's going to be a little small for experts and a bit punchy for absolute beginners, but it's the best wave we see in the whole outlook.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Mild temperatures (max 9°C on Sat afternoon, min 4°C on Mon morning). Winds increasing (calm on Mon morning, fresh winds from the SW by Tue morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Tue night. Very mild (max 12°C on Wed afternoon, min 7°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Tue afternoon, calm by Thu night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | ||||||||||||||
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) | E 7 | SSE 6 | E 9 | ENE 10 | SE 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SSE 10 | E 10 | SE 14 | SSE 16 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 16 | SSE 16 | SSE 14 | SSE 12 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 35 | 41 | 44 | 117 | 79 | 65 | 66 | 100 | 67 | 19 | 407 | 95 | 78 | 46 | 51 | 20 | 66 | 48 | 20 | 14 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off | glassy | off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | glassy | on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:39PM2.09m | 7:05AM1.98m | 7:31PM2.00m | 8:00AM1.93m | 8:24PM1.90m | 8:55AM1.87m | 9:18PM1.81m | 9:51AM1.81m | 10:14PM1.74m | 10:46AM1.78m | 11:08PM1.69m | 11:40AM1.76m | 00:01AM1.66m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:01AM0.06m | 1:23PM0.09m | 1:52AM0.12m | 2:17PM0.18m | 2:43AM0.19m | 3:10PM0.27m | 3:34AM0.27m | 4:02PM0.36m | 4:24AM0.34m | 4:54PM0.42m | 5:13AM0.40m | 5:45PM0.47m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  | | | | | | | |  | | | | |
 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — |
 | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — |
mm | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 9 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 |
Feels °C | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 7 | ENE 8 | SE 7 | E 10 | SE 9 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SSE 10 | E 10 | SE 14 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 16 | SSE 16 | SSE 14 | NE 4 |
| kJ | 35 | 41 | 42 | 47 | 79 | 65 | 66 | 100 | 67 | 19 | 407 | 85 | 78 | 46 | 51 | 20 | 66 | 48 | 20 | 2 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 13 | E 13 | E 9 | ENE 10 | E 10 | SE 8 | ESE 9 | S 14 | E 10 | — | E 10 | SSE 16 | SSE 14 | ESE 12 | SE 11 | E 9 | SE 12 | E 9 | E 12 | SSE 12 |
| kJ | 3 | 4 | 44 | 117 | 47 | 35 | 30 | 4 | 31 | — | 8 | 95 | 41 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 14 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 18 | E 9 | S 19 | ESE 12 | SSE 16 | E 15 | E 15 | SE 8 | SSE 4 | — | E 12 | E 10 | E 10 | E 11 | E 9 | E 13 | E 9 | E 13 | E 9 | E 11 |
| kJ | 6 | 2 | 7 | 15 | 26 | 19 | 17 | 46 | 1 | — | 3 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSE 6 | SW 3 | SE 7 | S 7 | — | — | — | WSW 3 | S 12 | SW 3 | WSW 2 | S 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 4 |
| kJ | — | 32 | 1 | 107 | 92 | — | — | — | 6 | 330 | 5 | 1 | 2726 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 5 | 4 | 0 | 169 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 194 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 20 | 4 | 31 | 20 |
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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