New Brighton Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 43.47° S 172.72° E

New Brighton Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 23 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's New Brighton Beach sea temperature is
9.7° C
0.2° 

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 23 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 27 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 13s period, E swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 14s period, E swell with 496 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 24 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 9s 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 (Jul 24) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 12s. Another secondary swell of 0.4m and 3s 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 1.1m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 3s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 9AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6PM (Fri 24th Jul)2ft (0.6m) 9s
Best Surf 3PM (Mon 27th Jul)2.5ft (0.8m) 13s
Most Powerful 6AM (Tue 28th Jul)3.5ft (1.1m) 14s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for New Brighton Beach.

Right now, honestly, it’s a bit of a tough stretch. We’ve got a very slow start and there’s nothing to get excited about for the next few days. The waves are tiny, the power is weak, and the conditions are messy. It’s the kind of period where you’d be better off checking the tides for a walk rather than paddling out.

The first real sign of something happening comes around Sunday, July 27th, but even then, things are pretty ordinary. The morning of the 27th has some clean offshore from the WSW and a modest 2ft swell, but the energy is just okay (132). The waves are surfable but nothing you’d set an alarm for.

Now, here’s where it picks up. Monday, July 28th morning is where I’d circle a date on the calendar. The wind goes glassy, dead calm from the NNE, and we’ve got a 4ft east swell rolling in with a solid 14-second period. That’s groundswell energy, and you can feel it – the combined energy reading hits 482 (moderate to strong). This is the standout of the whole run. Clean, glassy conditions, proper east swell, and it’s going to be the best wave quality of the forecast. Crowds can be a bit of a thing here at times, but with conditions that good, you’ll want to be in the water.

The water temp is sitting around 50°F with a small positive anomaly of 0.4°F, so basically normal for this time of year – nothing weird going on. The east-northeast swell direction is close to the optimum direction for New Brighton, and that helps shape up the beach nicely.

Through the end of July and into early August, we get a bit of a lull. The swell drops, the winds become less reliable, and the energy readings slip back under 100 a few times. The morning of August 2nd has a clean offshore from the W and a 2ft swell, but the period is short at 7 seconds, so it’s not going to have much punch. Still, it’s clean and could be good for a beginner to snag a few small ones.

Then on Wednesday, August 5th, we see a bump: 4ft from the SE, 11-second period, with clean cross-off winds from the SW. Energy is up to 380. That’s a solid late-winter swell, but it’s marginal according to the forecast, possibly due to tide or shape issues, so keep your expectations measured.

After that, it’s back to small and clean conditions but nothing that’ll get your heart racing. The whole second week is pretty quiet – small swells, clean moments, but nothing that breaks out as a major winner. There’s no real juice after that August 5th blip. If you’re a beginner, the glassy, small days on the 27th and 28th of July will be your best bet. If you want a bit more size and don’t mind the caveats, the 5th of August is the one for the more experienced crew.

Overall, not a classic run, but that one window – Monday, July 28th morning – is worth chasing.

Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Fri night. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu afternoon, min 3°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu morning, fresh winds from the SW by Fri night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 10°C on Mon afternoon, min 3°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light.

Thursday
23
Friday
24
Saturday
25
Sunday
26
Monday
27
Tuesday
28
Wednesday
29
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
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
0
1
1
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.6
NE
4
0.4
ENE
5
0.8
NNE
4
1
NNE
4
0.5
NE
9
0.7
NE
8
0.4
ENE
7
0.3
ESE
18
0.5
E
16
0.6
E
15
0.6
E
14
0.5
E
13
0.6
E
13
0.8
E
13
1
E
15
1.1
E
14
1.1
E
14
1
E
14
1
E
14
0.9
E
13
0.7
E
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
14
9
15
38
36
59
17
61
132
159
150
92
125
222
428
482
476
361
361
280
163
Wind (km/h)
5
NE
15
N
20
NNE
25
N
15
N
15
W
30
WSW
25
SW
10
W
10
W
15
SW
10
W
10
WSW
5
N
5
N
5
NNE
15
E
5
ENE
5
ENE
10
ESE
5
NNW
Wind State
glassy
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-on
off
off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
off
off
glassy
glassy
glassy
cross-on
on
on
cross-on
glassy
High Tide
12:14PM1.78m
00:33AM1.70m
1:04PM1.78m
1:22AM1.68m
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
Low Tide
6:18PM0.43m
6:36AM0.38m
7:08PM0.46m
7:23AM0.41m
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
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
cloud
rain showers
mod rain
light rain
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:50
7:50
7:50
7:48
7:48
7:47
7:46
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:19
5:20
5:21
5:22
5:22
5:23
5:24
 mm
7
8
2
Temp °C
10
14
12
13
14
9
5
5
4
6
8
6
8
10
10
7
10
10
8
9
12
Feels °C
9
10
6
8
10
5
-2
-1
0
1
3
3
5
7
7
4
6
7
6
6
7
  • 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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