
Surf Forecasts:
New Brighton Beach surf forecast from 7 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 15 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 10s period, ENE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 12 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 8s period, ENE swell with 504 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 8 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 11s 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 Saturday (Aug 08) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 11s. 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 2.1m 8s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 15) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Sat 8th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Wed 12th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for New Brighton Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag coming up for New Brighton Beach over the next couple of weeks. Don’t get too excited early on – it’s mostly a waiting game for the first few days, with the real action kicking off in the second week. Let’s break it down.
The first surf worth paddling out for doesn’t show up until Sunday morning, the 9th of August. It’s a messy one, though. Swell jumps to 7 ft from the NE, but the period is a short, crumbly 7 seconds, so the energy is all over the place (moderate energy at 570). The wind is a light cross-shore, making it a bit of a handful. This one’s more for the experienced crew – over 8 ft it’d be a no-go for beginners, but at 7 ft it’s still a bit much for learners. The afternoon cleans up with offshore wind from the west, dropping to 3 ft from the ENE, but still a short period. It’s ordinary, but ridable.
The next few days are pretty flat. Monday the 10th offers tiny 1 ft to 2 ft SE swell with offshore wind, but the energy is weak (39 to 67), and the waves are just too small to get excited about. Tuesday and Wednesday (11th, 12th) are a write-off – onshore winds and poor conditions. Wednesday morning sees a spike to 7 ft from the ENE again, but it’s cross-onshore and short period, making for a real battle.
Thursday the 13th morning is a standout moment – glassy conditions with offshore wind, 3 ft ENE swell at 8 seconds, and clean faces. The energy is moderate (105). It’s surfable waves, but nothing to write home about. Friday the 14th offers consistent offshore wind from the SW all day, with 3 ft to 3 ft ENE swell. It’s clean, but still ordinary.
Now, here’s the good stuff. Saturday the 15th of August is the best on offer across the whole outlook. Morning and afternoon both glassy, with 4 ft to 4 ft ENE swell coming in at a very nice 10 to 11 seconds. The energy is solid (350 to 281). The water here is about 49°F, which is spot on for this time of year – no surprises there. The swell direction lines up perfectly with the optimum ENE direction for New Brighton Beach. This is clean, lined-up, and consistent. Crowds can be a thing here sometimes, but with conditions like this, it’s worth sharing the lineup.
Sunday the 16th is a step down – light rain, moderate cross-off wind, and small 2 ft E swell. It’s clean but weak.
Then, get ready for the second week highlight. Monday the 17th of August through to Tuesday the 18th sees a new long-period groundswell from the SSE, with a period of 16 seconds – very long and powerful. Swell heights are 2 ft to 3 ft, but the energy is strong (233 to 443). Monday afternoon turns on with offshore SW wind and clean conditions, and Tuesday is all-day offshore with glassy or clean faces. This is a groundswell, so expect longer gaps between sets, but the waves will have real shape. It’s best for the point and reef setups, but at New Brighton Beach, it’ll still offer some fun lines. The energy is moderate to strong, and the wind is perfect.
Wednesday the 19th gets a bit blowy with a fresh breeze onshore, killing the quality. Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st are smaller, with offshore wind and clean conditions, but the swell drops off to 2 ft to 3 ft from the SE. Saturday the 22nd is a washout – tiny 0.7 ft to 1.0 ft and onshore wind.
Overall, the standout is clearly Saturday the 15th for the combination of glassy wind, solid ENE swell, and good energy. The second-best is the Monday-Tuesday (17th-18th) window with the long-period SSE groundswell and offshore winds. The rest of the period is small, clean, and ordinary, but there’s enough to keep you wet if you’re patient.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Mon morning. Very mild (max 10°C on Sun afternoon, min 7°C on Fri afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 8°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | E 6 | SE 9 | SE 8 | ESE 12 | SE 12 | SE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
61 | 49 | 27 | 15 | 15 | 452 | 51 | 31 | 29 | 35 | 57 | 35 | 12 | 110 | 440 | 163 | 107 | 87 | 65 | 92 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | off | off | off | off | glassy | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 11:39PM1.79m | 12:16PM1.94m | 00:39AM1.84m | 1:15PM2.02m | 1:38AM1.90m | 2:12PM2.10m | 2:34AM1.96m | 3:08PM2.16m | 3:30AM2.01m | 4:02PM2.19m | 4:24AM2.04m | 4:55PM2.19m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:34PM0.31m | 5:55AM0.22m | 6:32PM0.27m | 6:52AM0.16m | 7:30PM0.21m | 7:49AM0.09m | 8:28PM0.15m | 8:47AM0.03m | 9:25PM0.10m | 9:44AM-0.02m | 10:21PM0.05m | 10:40AM-0.04m | 11:15PM0.03m | |||||||
— | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | |
5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 16 | 17 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
Feels °C | 5 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 13 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | E 6 | SE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | ENE 7 | SE 10 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
61 | 49 | 27 | 15 | 15 | 97 | 51 | 31 | 29 | 35 | 31 | 25 | 12 | 4 | 125 | 4 | 107 | 87 | 65 | 92 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | SE 13 | SE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | ENE 6 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | SE 12 | ESE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | E 14 | E 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 |
15 | 12 | 16 | 15 | 7 | 15 | 9 | 14 | 7 | 31 | 57 | 35 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 18 | 17 | 17 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 16 | ENE 5 | ESE 10 | E 14 | E 13 | SE 12 | SE 12 | E 14 | E 13 | NE 6 | S 14 | E 7 | S 18 | S 16 | — | S 15 | SE 10 | S 16 | ESE 13 | S 18 |
10 | 3 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 5 | — | 4 | 4 | 21 | 18 | 6 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 3 | — | — | E 4 | E 5 | NE 7 | — | — | — | SSW 2 | — | — | ENE 3 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | — | — | — | — |
1 | — | — | 1 | 8 | 452 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 7 | 110 | 440 | 163 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 40 | 0 | 4 | 45 | 40 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 45 | 40 | 20 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 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.











