New Brighton Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 43.47° S 172.72° E

New Brighton Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 20 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's New Brighton Beach sea temperature is
10.4° C
0.9° 

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 20 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 27 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 10s period, ESE swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 18s period, SSE swell with 186 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 14s 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 Tuesday (Jul 21) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 4s. Another secondary swell of 0.7m and 4s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at New Brighton Beach in the next 16 days are 0.5m 18s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 6PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6AM (Tue 21st Jul)1.5ft (0.4m) 14s
Best Surf 6PM (Mon 27th Jul)3ft (0.9m) 10s
Most Powerful 6PM (Mon 20th Jul)1.5ft (0.5m) 18s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for New Brighton Beach.

Right off the bat, this is a pretty quiet outlook. The next few days are small, but there are a couple of windows worth paddling out for. The water temp is sitting at 51°, which is about what you’d expect for this time of year.

The first real chance to get wet kicks off on Monday, July 20th. The morning session is the standout for the whole first week. We’ve got a clean 2ft wave from the SSE, but it’s riding on a very long 19-second period. That’s a proper groundswell, and combined with the moderate wave energy (371) it’ll have some push. The wind is offshore and light from the W at 3 mph, so it’s going to be glassy. Keep in mind that for a beach break like this, that long period might make it a bit straight, but with offshore winds, it’ll still be fun. The afternoon turns onshore, so don’t sleep in.

Tuesday, July 21st drops off fast. The morning is glassy but tiny, with only 1ft from the SE and very low energy (75). It’s surfable, but it’s not going to get the heart racing.

From Wednesday, July 22nd through to the end of the month, it’s a real mixed bag of tiny waves, poor conditions, and strong winds. The swell is just not there. There’s a brief moment on Sunday, July 26th morning with a moderate offshore wind and 2ft from the E, but the energy is still low (142) and it’s rainy. Nothing to get excited about.

The next proper highlight doesn’t come until Wednesday, July 29th. The afternoon finally looks good again. We’ve got a clean 3ft wave from the ESE with a solid 13-second period and moderate to strong energy (296). The wind is light offshore from the SW at 6 mph, so it’ll be clean. This is the best looking session of the entire second week. The morning of that day is also clean, but with a bit more wind and a slightly bigger energy reading (396), so if you can get out early, you might score a bigger, cleaner wave.

After that, it’s back to tiny, ordinary conditions for the first few days of August. The very last blip shows Tuesday, August 4th morning with a 2ft wave from the E, but it’s a short-period 7-second swell and the wind is clean. It’s surfable, but very ordinary.

All in all, the best bets are Monday morning, July 20th and Wednesday afternoon, July 29th. They’re the only ones that really stand out with some decent energy and clean conditions. The rest of the window is quiet, so pick your sessions carefully.

Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 11°C on Wed afternoon, min 7°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu afternoon, min 3°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu afternoon, fresh winds from the E by Sat afternoon).

Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
Saturday
25
Sunday
26
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
1
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
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)
0.7
SSE
19
0.7
SSE
19
0.4
SSE
16
0.4
SE
14
0.3
SSE
12
0.2
SSE
11
0.2
E
11
0.1
E
11
0.1
SE
12
0.6
NE
4
0.4
ENE
4
0.9
NNE
4
0.9
NNE
4
0.4
NE
8
0.4
ENE
8
0.2
ESE
14
1
ENE
6
0.4
ESE
16
0.5
E
15
0.6
E
14
0.6
E
14
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
322
312
107
46
31
12
9
4
6
11
6
27
31
17
26
18
63
86
113
148
134
Wind (km/h)
5
W
10
ENE
15
NE
5
WNW
5
ENE
10
W
10
WSW
5
ENE
10
NE
5
NE
5
N
25
NNE
25
NNE
10
SSW
35
SW
5
NNE
35
ENE
25
SSW
20
SW
30
SW
15
WSW
Wind State
off
on
on
glassy
glassy
off
off
on
on
cross-on
glassy
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
on
cross-off
off
off
off
High Tide
9:27AM1.89m
9:51PM1.90m
10:24AM1.84m
10:47PM1.81m
11:21AM1.80m
11:41PM1.74m
12:14PM1.78m
00:33AM1.70m
1:04PM1.78m
1:22AM1.68m
1:51PM1.79m
2:08AM1.68m
2:35PM1.81m
2:51AM1.69m
Low Tide
3:38PM0.20m
4:07AM0.19m
4:33PM0.29m
4:58AM0.27m
5:26PM0.37m
5:48AM0.33m
6:18PM0.43m
6:36AM0.38m
7:08PM0.46m
7:23AM0.41m
7:56PM0.47m
8:08AM0.41m
8:42PM0.46m
clear
clear
clear
cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
part cloud
light rain
heavy rain
rain showers
rain showers
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:54
7:52
7:52
7:50
7:50
7:50
7:48
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:15
5:16
5:17
5:19
5:20
5:21
5:22
 mm
2
2
13
2
2
Temp °C
9
9
8
8
10
9
10
11
10
8
13
12
12
11
9
7
7
5
6
6
3
Feels °C
7
6
4
6
8
6
8
8
7
6
6
5
6
8
4
1
-2
-1
0
-2
-3
  • 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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