
Surf Forecasts:
New Brighton Beach surf forecast from 11 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 17s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 17s period, SSE swell with 807 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 13 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 8s 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 Thursday (Aug 13) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 14s. 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 1.2m 17s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 4.5m 17s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3PM (Thu 13th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for New Brighton Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper paddle. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak, and messy surf ahead, with only one real window that might get your heart rate up.
The wait is going to be painful. From now until the 18th, we’re looking at a whole lot of nothing. There might be the odd knee-high ripple, but nothing that’s worth dragging a board out for. It’s going to be a flat spell that will test your patience.
Then, around Wednesday the 19th, things finally start to move. The energy kicks in, but it’s still small and a bit all over the place. The real standout, the one I’d circle on the calendar, is the morning of Wednesday, August 19th. We’ve got a clean 3 ft swell rolling in from the southeast with a long 16-second period. That’s proper groundswell energy, and the combined energy reading is a moderate 383. The wind is light and offshore from the WSW, which should keep the faces clean and lined up. This will be your best bet for a few fun, long walls. It’s still small, but it’ll be the best quality on offer. The swell direction is ENE, which is a bit off from the optimum, but the clean conditions should make up for it.
After that, it’s back to the small stuff. The energy fades again into the low hundreds and below. We see a little bump on the morning of Saturday, August 22nd, with a small 2 ft SE swell, but it’s not worth getting too excited about. The long-range forecast for the second week looks like more of the same: small, weak, and clean but tiny. The conditions will be good, but you’ll be chasing shadows.
Overall, this is a period for fixing dings, sorting your fins, and waiting for that one morning on the 19th to make the most of a rare, clean window.
Rusty, out.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu afternoon, min 9°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the ENE on Tue night, calm by Thu afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 11°C on Mon afternoon, min 4°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | ||||||||||||||
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) | E 5 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 9 | ESE 16 | ESE 15 | ESE 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
69 | 175 | 310 | 785 | 515 | 133 | 71 | 49 | 40 | 39 | 39 | 38 | 66 | 47 | 34 | 16 | 24 | 21 | 20 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | off | off | glassy | cross-on | off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 3:30AM2.01m | 4:02PM2.19m | 4:24AM2.04m | 4:55PM2.19m | 5:17AM2.05m | 5:47PM2.16m | 6:11AM2.02m | 6:39PM2.09m | 7:05AM1.98m | 7:31PM2.00m | 8:00AM1.93m | 8:24PM1.90m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:25PM0.10m | 9:44AM-0.02m | 10:21PM0.05m | 10:40AM-0.04m | 11:15PM0.03m | 11:35AM-0.02m | 00:08AM0.03m | 12:29PM0.02m | 1:01AM0.06m | 1:23PM0.09m | 1:52AM0.12m | 2:17PM0.18m | 2:43AM0.19m | ||||||
— | 7:28 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 15 | 16 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 10 |
Feels °C | 4 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 12 | 15 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 4 | -1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 9 | SE 7 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 |
5 | 4 | 4 | 244 | 171 | 133 | 71 | 49 | 37 | 39 | 39 | 38 | 66 | 47 | 34 | 16 | 11 | 17 | 16 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 10 | S 16 | S 20 | E 14 | E 14 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | E 14 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | SE 6 | SE 6 | E 12 | ESE 5 | ENE 9 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 |
28 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 3 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 16 | 2 | 3 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | S 21 | S 15 | SE 9 | ESE 14 | — | E 10 | E 16 | ESE 14 | S 18 | S 18 | S 16 | S 18 | S 16 | S 18 | E 8 | ESE 16 | ESE 15 | ESE 14 |
5 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 19 | — | 2 | 5 | 40 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 25 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 24 | 21 | 20 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 5 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | — | — | — | SW 3 | — | — | S 3 | SW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
69 | 175 | 310 | 785 | 515 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 45 | 54 | 169 | 31 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 20 | 4 | 4 | 20 |
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.











