Surf Forecasts:
New Brighton Beach surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 8s period, ENE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 16s period, SE swell with 258 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 29 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 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 Saturday (Aug 29) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 13s. 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 0.7m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 05) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for New Brighton Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s chew the fat on what New Brighton Beach has for us over the next couple weeks.
Honestly, we’re looking at a pretty dead start. The first week or so is mostly a total bust with tiny, weak swell and pretty ordinary conditions. There are long gaps with nothing worth getting wet for.
We finally get a little flicker of life on the morning of Wednesday, September 2nd. The swell comes up to 2ft from the SE with a crazy long 16-second period, giving it that deep ocean groundswell feel. The combined energy is moderate, hitting (261). The real story here is the wind going glassy. Dead flat calm. That’s a huge plus for clean conditions. It’s a beach break though, and that long period (over 15 seconds) can make the waves run a bit straight and fat here. Still, if you’re desperate for a paddle, this is the best bet.
Then it’s back to flat and choppy mess until Wednesday, September 9th. The afternoon of the 9th is the clear standout of the whole forecast. The swell jumps to 6ft from the SSE with a short period of 7 seconds. That’s windswell, but the combined energy is strong at (363). And again, the wind goes glassy. Clean, smooth, shapely waves. That size is getting up there for average punters, but for a confident surfer it’s proper fun. This is easily the best session on offer.
For Saturday morning, September 12th, there’s a tiny, clean window with 1.0ft from the SE and a light offshore wind from the W, but it’s real small.
What’s really painful is how inconsistent it is. The first week only gifts us that one glassy morning on September 2nd. Then we wait another full week for the September 9th afternoon. That’s a long, flat run.
When that biggest swell hits on the 9th, it brings strong wave energy for the beach. Water temp is about average for the season, nothing weird going on there.
So mark your calendar for Wednesday, September 9th afternoon. That’s the one to chase. The rest is mostly just staring at flat water.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun morning, min 5°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Fri night, strong winds from the WNW by Mon afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 18°C on Thu morning, min 5°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Mon night, calm by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | ||||||||||||||
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) | NE 8 | ENE 8 | SE 13 | ENE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | SSE 16 | NE 10 | E 10 | SSE 12 | SE 16 | SSE 16 | SSE 13 | N 5 | N 5 | SE 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 62 | 36 | 44 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 62 | 34 | 24 | 4 | 2 | 96 | 258 | 166 | 67 | 43 | 12 | 4 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | on | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 5:03AM1.77m | 5:26PM1.87m | 5:45AM1.79m | 6:08PM1.86m | 6:30AM1.81m | 6:52PM1.84m | 7:17AM1.83m | 7:40PM1.82m | 8:07AM1.84m | 8:31PM1.80m | 9:02AM1.87m | 9:27PM1.78m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:00PM0.31m | 11:15AM0.26m | 11:44PM0.28m | 12:01PM0.25m | 00:29AM0.27m | 12:49PM0.26m | 1:15AM0.26m | 1:39PM0.27m | 2:04AM0.26m | 2:32PM0.28m | 2:55AM0.25m | 3:27PM0.29m | |||||||
 |  | |  | |  |  | | |  | | | |  |  | | | | | |
 | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:04 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 16 | 16 | 8 | 10 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 14 |
Feels °C | 8 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 7 | -1 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 8 | ENE 8 | ESE 13 | NE 4 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | NW 3 | NE 10 | E 10 | SSE 12 | SE 16 | SSE 16 | NE 4 | N 4 | SSE 10 | ESE 3 |
| kJ | 62 | 36 | 17 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 62 | 34 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 96 | 258 | 166 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 1 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | ESE 13 | SSE 10 | ENE 8 | SE 12 | S 16 | E 12 | SE 4 | E 10 | SSE 12 | — | — | E 9 | E 11 | E 10 | SSE 13 | NE 5 | N 5 | SE 10 |
| kJ | 12 | 17 | 10 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 14 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 67 | 4 | 12 | 4 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 14 | SSE 10 | SE 13 | SE 12 | S 16 | SE 12 | — | E 7 | E 11 | SSE 16 | — | — | — | — | — | E 10 | SSE 12 | SE 11 | NE 10 |
| kJ | 19 | 10 | 44 | 6 | 5 | 6 | — | 1 | 3 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 13 | 5 | 4 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NW 3 | ENE 8 | NW 3 | N 3 | NW 3 | SSW 4 | NW 3 | NNW 3 | W 3 | S 12 | S 12 | — | N 3 | N 4 | NNW 3 | N 5 | E 3 | N 3 |
| kJ | — | 2 | 25 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 22 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 228 | 213 | — | 1 | 12 | 10 | 43 | 8 | 1 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 31 | 33 | 43 | 33 | 20 | 4 | 49 | 177 | 9 | 450 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 10 | 13 | 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.
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