Surf Forecasts:
New Brighton Beach surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 14s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 17s period, SE swell with 138 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 3AM (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 Monday (Aug 24) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 14s. 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 0.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) 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 1.0m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for New Brighton Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this stretch of coast is looking pretty quiet. The next 16 days are a real test of patience, with a big gap of nothing much on offer. There’s a tiny window of clean, weak surf right at the start, but then it’s a long dry spell until the end of the first week. Even then, it’s nothing to write home about.
We start off on Monday, August 24th at New Brighton Beach. Early morning will see a tiny 0.3 ft swell pushing in from the SSE with a period of 14 seconds. That’s a long period groundswell, which means it’ll have some shape for a long ride, but it’s a real ankle-snapper. The magic is the wind: glassy offshore from the WSW, dead clean. The water is about average for this time of year. The combined wave energy is weak (61). It’s not a stand-out, but it’s the only clean option.
After that, we hit a long, bleak stretch. From Monday afternoon right through to the end of the month, there’s nothing worth paddling for. The winds get messy, the swell disappears or turns into short-period wind chop, and the scores are all zero. It’s a full week of looking at a flat, bumpy ocean.
Then, on Friday, August 28th, we get a brief moment of hope. Early morning at New Brighton Beach, the wind goes dead calm – glassy conditions. The swell is still tiny, 0.4 ft from the SE with a 12-second period. The combined energy is still very weak (58). It’s glassy, but there’s just no power in the water. It’s a “surfable” morning if you’re desperate, but it’s not a recommendation.
The blank spell continues after that. There’s a few more weak swells in early September, but the wind is always on it, or the swell is too short period to do anything. The 5th of September has a bump in combined energy (135) but it’s pinned to a fresh cross-shore wind that will chop it to pieces. It’s a mess.
So, the honest truth is: there’s no standout session in this 16-day window. The best you’ll get is a weak, clean knee-high wave on the 24th and a glassy, but powerless, morning on the 28th. For the rest, park the board and check the forecast in a few days.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Sat night. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat morning, min 6°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (near gales from the WNW on Sun morning, calm by Mon morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Wed night. Very mild (max 17°C on Tue afternoon, min 8°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NNW on Tue morning, light winds from the SE by Thu morning). | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ENE 5 | SSE 11 | N 4 | NNE 5 | NE 9 | E 14 | E 14 | SSE 14 | SSE 14 | E 14 | N 4 | E 14 | E 14 | SSE 15 | SSE 16 | SE 11 | SE 16 | SSE 12 | SE 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 18 | 11 | 18 | 52 | 39 | 15 | 16 | 41 | 36 | 16 | 36 | 15 | 15 | 87 | 51 | 29 | 63 | 27 | 64 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on |
High Tide | 00:01AM1.66m | 12:31PM1.76m | 00:50AM1.65m | 1:18PM1.77m | 1:36AM1.66m | 2:03PM1.79m | 2:20AM1.68m | 2:45PM1.82m | 3:01AM1.70m | 3:26PM1.84m | 3:42AM1.72m | 4:06PM1.86m | |||||||
Low Tide | 6:01AM0.43m | 6:34PM0.49m | 6:48AM0.44m | 7:21PM0.48m | 7:34AM0.42m | 8:07PM0.46m | 8:18AM0.39m | 8:51PM0.43m | 9:02AM0.35m | 9:34PM0.38m | 9:45AM0.31m | 10:17PM0.34m | |||||||
 |  | |  |  | | | | |  |  | | | | |  |  | | | |
 | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | 2 | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 9 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 8 | 10 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 14 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
Feels °C | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | SSE 10 | E 14 | NE 9 | NE 9 | SSE 13 | SSE 14 | SSE 14 | SSE 11 | E 14 | E 14 | N 4 | SSE 15 | SSE 16 | SE 11 | SE 16 | SSE 12 | ENE 5 |
| kJ | 18 | 2 | 10 | 15 | 39 | 14 | 16 | 41 | 36 | 12 | 16 | 15 | 1 | 87 | 51 | 29 | 63 | 27 | 19 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | E 15 | SE 10 | E 14 | NNE 5 | NNW 4 | E 14 | E 14 | ENE 5 | SE 10 | S 17 | S 17 | E 14 | E 13 | SSE 15 | E 13 | SSE 16 | SE 16 |
| kJ | 12 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 16 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 23 | 15 | 14 | 23 | 3 | 25 | 64 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | S 16 | SE 9 | E 14 | E 14 | NE 8 | NE 4 | E 14 | S 16 | S 9 | E 14 | N 5 | — | E 13 | ESE 13 | E 13 | E 12 |
| kJ | 8 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 15 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 5 | 2 | 15 | 1 | — | 3 | 16 | 3 | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | N 3 | N 4 | NNE 5 | NW 4 | WNW 4 | WSW 2 | NNW 3 | NNW 3 | N 4 | N 4 | NNW 4 | SE 2 | — | SE 6 | NE 3 | NE 4 | NE 4 | N 6 |
| kJ | — | 5 | 18 | 52 | 28 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 36 | 17 | 1 | — | 9 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 23 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 20 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 158 | 177 | 20 | 0 | 9 | 40 | 40 | 49 | 20 | 40 | 43 | 31 | 10 | 40 | 45 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Canterbury | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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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