New Brighton Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 43.47° S 172.72° E

New Brighton Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 am 12 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's New Brighton Beach sea temperature is
10.8°C
1.4° 

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 12 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 13 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 16s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 12 Sep, 3PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 16s period, SSE swell with 291 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 13 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 16s period with SSE 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 (Sep 13) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 3s. Another secondary swell of 0.3m 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 0.8m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 12) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.3m 12s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 13) at 9AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)12AM (Sun 13th Sep)1.5ft (0.4m) 16s
Best Surf12AM (Sun 13th Sep)1.5ft (0.4m) 16s
Most Powerful 3PM (Sat 12th Sep)2.5ft (0.8m) 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 offer.

To be straight with you, this is a grim outlook for New Brighton Beach. We're looking at a solid two weeks of barely a ripple, with a few sessions that are just about surfable but nothing to get excited about. The water is sitting at 51°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that's about the only thing that's slightly in our favour.

The first real chance to get wet won't be until Saturday the 12th of September in the morning. We've got a tiny 2ft swell out of the SSE with a very long period of 16 seconds, giving us weak wave energy (211). The wind is a light cross-off from the SSW, and it's clean, but that's about the best you'll see. It's tiny, inconsistent, and for beginners only. Don't expect much.

After that, it's a desert. Sunday the 13th through to Monday the 22nd of September is basically a write-off. The swell drops to nothing, the wind is all over the shop, and most days are marked as poor conditions. We get a bit of glassy water here and there, but with swell heights below 2ft and short periods, it's not worth paddling out.

Then, on Tuesday the 22nd of September in the morning, things get interesting for the wrong reasons. The swell jumps to 4ft out of the NE with a short period of 6 seconds. The wind is a gentle cross-onshore from the ESE, making it choppy. Combined energy is moderate at 174, but with that short period and onshore wind, the quality will be poor. This is a big, messy, blown-out wall of water – more of a kitesurfing setup than a paddle surfer's dream. The afternoon cleans up with a fresh offshore from the SW at 22 mph, but the swell drops to 2ft, so it's a clean, small, and weak wave. Not a standout.

The only other spot that might be worth a look is Thursday the 24th of September in the morning. It's tiny at 1ft from the ENE with a period of 10 seconds, but the wind is glassy, coming from the NW at 3 mph. It's surfable, but very ordinary. The rest of the week follows the same pattern of tiny, weak, and often onshore.

Honestly, the best surf on offer in this whole 16-day window is that first Saturday morning session. It's small, it's weak, and it's inconsistent, but with a long period and cross-off wind, it's the cleanest you're going to get. Don't hold your breath for anything else. This is a classic, long, flat spell for the area.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Mon afternoon, min 5°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Wed night. Very mild (max 15°C on Wed morning, min 5°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Saturday
12
Sunday
13
Monday
14
Tuesday
15
Wednesday
16
Thursday
17
Friday
18
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
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
SSE
16
0.8
SSE
16
0.4
SSE
16
0.3
SSE
13
0.4
SSE
13
0.4
SE
9
0.4
SE
11
0.4
SE
10
0.2
SSE
8
0.2
SSE
9
0.1
E
11
0.5
NE
5
0.6
N
3
0.6
N
3
0.4
SE
4
0.6
SE
5
0.2
E
14
0.2
ESE
14
0.2
SSE
16
0.3
SSE
16
0.9
NNE
5
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
193
291
102
34
63
19
30
24
7
7
5
14
7
7
6
13
16
19
26
53
49
Wind (km/h)
10
SW
10
E
10
WNW
10
WSW
10
ENE
10
NE
5
W
10
E
0
E
5
NNE
10
E
5
WNW
10
NNW
25
NW
10
SSE
15
W
5
WSW
10
NW
5
NNE
30
ENE
5
ENE
Wind State
cross-off
on
cross-off
off
on
cross-on
glassy
on
glassy
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross
off
off
cross-off
cross-on
on
glassy
High Tide
5:22PM2.04m
5:47AM1.99m
6:11PM1.97m
6:38AM1.95m
7:01PM1.90m
7:29AM1.90m
7:52PM1.82m
8:21AM1.85m
8:45PM1.75m
9:15AM1.80m
9:39PM1.69m
10:09AM1.77m
10:33PM1.65m
Low Tide
11:14AM0.07m
11:42PM0.09m
12:06PM0.12m
00:31AM0.14m
12:57PM0.19m
1:20AM0.20m
1:49PM0.27m
2:10AM0.27m
2:40PM0.34m
2:59AM0.34m
3:31PM0.40m
3:48AM0.40m
4:21PM0.45m
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
mod rain
mod rain
light rain
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:37
6:35
6:33
6:31
6:30
6:28
6:26
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:14
6:15
6:15
6:16
6:17
6:19
6:20
 mm
10
8
3
Temp °C
10
10
8
12
12
9
12
13
11
10
11
11
15
15
10
6
6
6
8
9
9
Feels °C
7
6
2
9
9
5
10
10
9
7
8
10
9
10
9
3
4
3
3
2
4
  • 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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