Surf Forecasts:
New Brighton Beach surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 25 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 1ft (0.3m), 14s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 18s period, ESE swell with 395 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 25 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 1ft (0.3m), 14s period with ESE 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 (Aug 25) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.3m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 16s. Another secondary swell of 0.2m and 14s is also forecast. Another secondary swell of 0.8m and 4s 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 18s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.0m 17s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 1ft (0.3m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 1ft (0.3m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for New Brighton Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s break down what’s cookin’ at New Brighton Beach. It’s gonna be a slow couple of weeks, so don’t get your hopes up too high.
There’s a bit of a dry spell right off the bat. The first real chance to get in the water isn’t until Friday morning, August 28th. Before that, it’s all tiny, wind-blown junk.
That Friday morning, we’re looking at a 3ft swell from the ENE, with a short period of 7 seconds – so it’s weak and crumbly, not much guts. The wind is light offshore from the WSW, which is a good sign for clean faces. The combined energy is moderate at 136. It’s rideable, but it’s nothing special. The afternoon gets a little better, with the swell bumping up to 4ft from the same direction, period up to 8 seconds, and the wind goes glassy. That’s a real nice little window of clean, small surf. The energy is still moderate at 215. It’s not a day to call in sick for, but if you’re jonesin’ for a paddle, that Friday afternoon is your best shot in the first week. New Brighton Beach is a beginner-friendly spot, but it’s inconsistent, so that’s just the way it is here.
Then we’re back to the waiting game. Saturday the 29th, Sunday, Monday – all tiny and mostly poor. Monday the 31st afternoon has a 2ft swell from the SSE with a very long period of 19 seconds, which is a proper groundswell, but it’s a bit of a tease. The energy is moderate at 282, but with a cross-shore wind, it’ll be a bit messy. That long period stuff at a beach break like this can be a little straight and hard to figure.
The one real standout window, if you can call it that, is Tuesday the 1st of September. We’ve got a 2ft swell from the SE with a 12-second period – that’s a nice, clean groundswell. The wind is glassy in the morning, dead calm, and the water temperature is sitting at about 50° – that’s a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, but nothing crazy. The energy is moderate at 150. The afternoon stays clean with a light cross-offshore breeze. For a spot that’s been mostly flat or poor, this Tuesday morning is the cleanest, most inviting session of the whole forecast. It’s small, but it’ll be tidy.
Beyond that, there’s a little blip on Sunday the 6th of September with another glassy morning and a 1ft swell from the SSE with a very long 20-second period, energy moderate at 138. But that’s a long way off, and the swell is tiny. It’s a promise, not a guarantee.
Honestly, for New Brighton, this is a pretty lean run. The break is inconsistent at the best of times, so a few days of nothing is pretty normal. The only real standouts are Friday the 28th afternoon and Tuesday the 1st of September morning. If you’re a beginner, the Friday afternoon 4ft waves are small enough to be fun, but anything over 5ft would be too much, and that doesn’t happen here. The Tuesday glassy morning is the pick for anyone who just wants clean, small waves.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 17°C on Tue morning, min 7°C on Mon morning). Winds increasing (calm on Mon morning, fresh winds from the NW by Tue morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Thu morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu night, min 7°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NNE on Thu night, calm by Fri night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 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) | SSE 14 | E 14 | ESE 14 | NNW 4 | E 14 | SSE 17 | E 13 | SSE 17 | ESE 18 | SSE 17 | SSE 16 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | SE 11 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
41 | 16 | 40 | 28 | 15 | 29 | 14 | 28 | 390 | 117 | 86 | 103 | 90 | 173 | 46 | 29 | 17 | 24 | 13 | 7 | 7 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | off | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:03PM1.79m | 2:20AM1.68m | 2:45PM1.82m | 3:01AM1.70m | 3:26PM1.84m | 3:42AM1.72m | 4:06PM1.86m | 4:22AM1.75m | 4:46PM1.87m | 5:03AM1.77m | 5:26PM1.87m | 5:45AM1.79m | 6:08PM1.86m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:07PM0.46m | 8:18AM0.39m | 8:51PM0.43m | 9:02AM0.35m | 9:34PM0.38m | 9:45AM0.31m | 10:17PM0.34m | 10:30AM0.28m | 11:00PM0.31m | 11:15AM0.26m | 11:44PM0.28m | 12:01PM0.25m | 00:29AM0.27m | ||||||||
7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | |
— | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 16 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 13 | 12 | 9 |
Feels °C | 10 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 14 | SSE 8 | SSE 16 | E 14 | E 14 | N 4 | E 13 | SSE 17 | S 17 | SSE 17 | SSE 16 | SSE 13 | SE 12 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 4 | SE 6 |
41 | 7 | 26 | 15 | 15 | 4 | 14 | 28 | 1702 | 117 | 86 | 33 | 37 | 173 | 46 | 15 | 15 | 24 | 13 | 1 | 7 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 14 | E 14 | E 14 | S 16 | S 18 | SSE 17 | S 17 | E 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | SE 12 | SE 15 | SE 11 | SSE 11 | SE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | NE 3 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 |
15 | 16 | 16 | 5 | 25 | 29 | 6 | 14 | 32 | 14 | 13 | 5 | 9 | 33 | 23 | 29 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 7 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 8 | S 14 | ESE 14 | S 10 | S 9 | E 14 | — | NE 4 | — | — | — | — | — | E 15 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | SSE 7 | SSE 8 | NE 4 |
3 | 15 | 40 | 2 | 2 | 15 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 5 | 6 | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | N 2 | NNE 4 | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | — | SE 3 | ESE 3 | ESE 18 | E 5 | ENE 6 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | NNW 3 | SSW 3 | — | — | — | NNE 3 | — | — |
— | 1 | 20 | 28 | 26 | — | 2 | 1 | 390 | 27 | 67 | 103 | 90 | 5 | 3 | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 20 | 0 | 49 | 49 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 154 | 167 | 54 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 20 | 33 | 43 | 43 |
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.











