Surf Forecasts:
New Brighton Beach surf forecast from 12 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 13 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 16s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 12 Sep, 3PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 16s period, SSE swell with 291 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 13 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 16s 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 Sunday (Sep 13) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 3s. Another secondary swell of 0.3m and 3s 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 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 12) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.3m 12s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 13) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Sun 13th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Sun 13th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 16s |
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.
To be straight with you, this is a grim outlook for New Brighton Beach. We're looking at a solid two weeks of barely a ripple, with a few sessions that are just about surfable but nothing to get excited about. The water is sitting at 51°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that's about the only thing that's slightly in our favour.
The first real chance to get wet won't be until Saturday the 12th of September in the morning. We've got a tiny 2ft swell out of the SSE with a very long period of 16 seconds, giving us weak wave energy (211). The wind is a light cross-off from the SSW, and it's clean, but that's about the best you'll see. It's tiny, inconsistent, and for beginners only. Don't expect much.
After that, it's a desert. Sunday the 13th through to Monday the 22nd of September is basically a write-off. The swell drops to nothing, the wind is all over the shop, and most days are marked as poor conditions. We get a bit of glassy water here and there, but with swell heights below 2ft and short periods, it's not worth paddling out.
Then, on Tuesday the 22nd of September in the morning, things get interesting for the wrong reasons. The swell jumps to 4ft out of the NE with a short period of 6 seconds. The wind is a gentle cross-onshore from the ESE, making it choppy. Combined energy is moderate at 174, but with that short period and onshore wind, the quality will be poor. This is a big, messy, blown-out wall of water – more of a kitesurfing setup than a paddle surfer's dream. The afternoon cleans up with a fresh offshore from the SW at 22 mph, but the swell drops to 2ft, so it's a clean, small, and weak wave. Not a standout.
The only other spot that might be worth a look is Thursday the 24th of September in the morning. It's tiny at 1ft from the ENE with a period of 10 seconds, but the wind is glassy, coming from the NW at 3 mph. It's surfable, but very ordinary. The rest of the week follows the same pattern of tiny, weak, and often onshore.
Honestly, the best surf on offer in this whole 16-day window is that first Saturday morning session. It's small, it's weak, and it's inconsistent, but with a long period and cross-off wind, it's the cleanest you're going to get. Don't hold your breath for anything else. This is a classic, long, flat spell for the area.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Mon afternoon, min 5°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 21mm), heaviest during Wed night. Very mild (max 15°C on Wed morning, min 5°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | |||||||||||||||
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 16 | SSE 16 | SSE 16 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | SE 9 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | E 11 | NE 5 | N 3 | N 3 | SE 4 | SE 5 | E 14 | ESE 14 | SSE 16 | SSE 16 | NNE 5 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 193 | 291 | 102 | 34 | 63 | 19 | 30 | 24 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 26 | 53 | 49 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | on | cross-off | off | on | cross-on | glassy | on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | off | off | cross-off | cross-on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 5:22PM2.04m | 5:47AM1.99m | 6:11PM1.97m | 6:38AM1.95m | 7:01PM1.90m | 7:29AM1.90m | 7:52PM1.82m | 8:21AM1.85m | 8:45PM1.75m | 9:15AM1.80m | 9:39PM1.69m | 10:09AM1.77m | 10:33PM1.65m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:14AM0.07m | 11:42PM0.09m | 12:06PM0.12m | 00:31AM0.14m | 12:57PM0.19m | 1:20AM0.20m | 1:49PM0.27m | 2:10AM0.27m | 2:40PM0.34m | 2:59AM0.34m | 3:31PM0.40m | 3:48AM0.40m | 4:21PM0.45m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | | | | | | | | | |  |  |  |  |  | | | | |
 | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — |
 | — | 6:14 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:17 | — | — | 6:19 | — | — | 6:20 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 8 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 10 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
Feels °C | 7 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 16 | SSE 16 | SSE 16 | SSE 13 | SSE 16 | SE 9 | SE 11 | SE 10 | NE 3 | NE 4 | SE 8 | NE 5 | ENE 5 | E 12 | NE 8 | ENE 6 | ESE 5 | ESE 14 | SSE 16 | SSE 16 | NE 5 |
| kJ | 193 | 291 | 102 | 34 | 25 | 19 | 30 | 24 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 19 | 26 | 53 | 27 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 13 | ENE 13 | NE 3 | SSE 17 | E 12 | SSE 12 | S 16 | E 12 | SSE 8 | SSE 9 | E 11 | SE 8 | E 13 | E 10 | ENE 5 | E 14 | E 14 | ESE 4 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 |
| kJ | 18 | 17 | 2 | 29 | 3 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 16 | 2 | 16 | 17 | 33 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | ENE 13 | — | — | S 18 | E 12 | S 16 | E 12 | E 11 | SE 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 9 | E 14 | E 11 | NE 6 | E 7 | SE 4 | NE 12 | SSE 17 |
| kJ | — | — | 17 | — | — | 6 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 27 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NNW 3 | SSW 12 | SSE 13 | — | — | — | NE 3 | — | NE 2 | NNW 3 | N 3 | N 3 | SE 4 | SE 5 | — | — | — | NE 3 | NNE 5 |
| kJ | — | — | 2 | 1593 | 63 | — | — | — | 3 | — | 1 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 13 | — | — | — | 2 | 49 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 239 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 20 | 20 | 40 | 33 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 47 | 336 | 249 | 55 | 55 | 33 | 40 | 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.
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