
Surf Forecasts:
New Brighton Beach surf forecast from 23 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 28 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 14s period, E swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 14s period, E swell with 436 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 24 Jul, 9PM (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 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 3s. 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 1.1m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 7s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Fri 24th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (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, Rusty here, let’s have a look at what’s on offer at New Brighton Beach.
First up, the pattern is pretty flat for the first week. There’s a few small bumps but not much to write home about. The only real standouts come right at the end of the forecast window, into the second week. Hold tight.
The first bit of noteworthy surf lands on Monday, July 28th, with the Tuesday morning session looking like the first real highlight. The swell is a clean 3ft from the east, with a period of 14 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell, lots of energy and longer lulls between sets. The wind is glassy, dead calm, so the surface will be like a mirror. The combined energy is moderate at 371. This is a sweet little window for a longboard or a funboard. New Brighton Beach is a beginner-friendly spot, and this size is perfect for learning.
Wednesday, July 30th, is also a morning worth circling. Again, glassy conditions with a 3ft east swell, 13-second period, and combined energy of 346. It’s clean, it’s punchy enough, and the wind is off. Crowds are possible here, so get out early.
Now, the real standout is August 5th. Wednesday morning sees a 7ft swell from the southeast, with a period of 8 seconds. That’s a short-period wind swell, but the wind is offshore and light, coming in at 10 km/h from the WSW. The combined energy jumps to 697 – that’s a solid push. This is a proper step up. At 7ft, it’s getting into expert territory, definitely not for beginners. The swell is coming from the southeast, which is a bit off the optimum ENE direction, but with that offshore wind, it’ll still produce some clean, powerful wedges. The afternoon shift sees the wind swing onshore, so the morning is the only window.
The water temperature is about 50°F, which is pretty average for the time of year, nothing unusual.
August 6th Thursday morning offers a 4ft east swell with 9-second period, light offshore winds, and combined energy of 261. It’s a solid, surfable option, but the afternoon looks like it gets too big – 12ft from the east with a 12-second period and a massive 3704 combined energy. That’s a huge, powerful swell, and at New Brighton Beach, that’s going to be a washing machine. Only for the mad experts with big boards and bigger balls.
August 7th Friday morning is another good one: 6ft east swell, 12-second period, light offshore wind, and combined energy of 900. Again, clean and powerful, but definitely for experienced surfers only.
August 8th Saturday morning rounds it out with a 5ft east swell, 11-second period, light offshore, and combined energy of 555. A nice, solid, clean session to finish the run.
The first week is mostly a write-off – small, weak, and choppy. But from July 28th onwards, there’s a string of good to very good mornings, with August 5th and 7th being the true standouts. The trick is picking the morning windows, because the afternoons tend to get onshore or too big. Basically, the best surf is all in the second week, and it’s worth the wait.
Stay stoked,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Sat morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri afternoon, min 2°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Wed night, min 4°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | N 4 | NE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 7 | ESE 18 | E 16 | E 15 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | E 14 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | E 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
24 | 84 | 50 | 19 | 61 | 132 | 157 | 148 | 176 | 171 | 219 | 324 | 366 | 430 | 356 | 284 | 219 | 156 | 119 | 112 | 105 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | on | cross | on | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 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 | 4:56AM1.72m | 5:21PM1.87m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 11:04AM0.31m | 11:37PM0.36m | ||||||||
7:50 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | |
— | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | |
mm | — | — | 1 | 12 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 14 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 13 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Feels °C | 8 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 3 | -1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 5 | E 12 | ENE 9 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | E 16 | E 15 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | E 14 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | E 12 |
9 | 3 | 50 | 19 | 20 | 132 | 157 | 148 | 176 | 171 | 219 | 324 | 366 | 430 | 356 | 284 | 219 | 156 | 119 | 112 | 105 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | S 9 | SE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 18 | SE 6 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | — | SE 6 | S 10 | NE 3 | ENE 4 | NE 4 | SSW 14 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | S 16 | NE 5 | NE 7 | ESE 4 |
3 | 2 | 7 | 17 | 61 | 14 | 42 | 22 | — | 1 | 49 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 41 | 12 | 19 | 5 | 22 | 13 | 3 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | S 14 | — | SE 5 | SE 4 | E 12 | SE 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | — | S 13 | — | NE 4 | SSW 10 | — | S 17 | SSE 18 | ENE 6 | S 16 | S 15 | S 15 |
2 | 4 | — | 1 | 2 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 19 | — | 28 | — | 4 | 20 | — | 5 | 30 | 13 | 5 | 74 | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 4 | NE 8 | WSW 2 | SW 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 4 | — | — | NE 5 | NE 6 | — | NNE 4 | S 3 | SE 4 | — |
24 | 84 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | 6 | 50 | — | 30 | 2 | 7 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 154 | 154 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 10 | 31 | 45 | 0 |
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.










