Surf Forecasts:
New Brighton Beach surf forecast from 27 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 8s period, ENE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 28 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 7s period, NE swell with 420 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 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 Friday (Aug 28) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 11s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m 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 2.1m 7s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 4.5m 13s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for New Brighton Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s be honest with you. I’ve been staring at the charts for this stretch, and it’s a tough go. There’s a big old gap at the start here – we’re looking at a blank run for the first few days. Nothing but tiny, weak waves and poor conditions. You’d be better off waxing your board and staring at the horizon. It’s looking like a real dry spell to kick things off.
Now, looking at the guidance, our only real option on the board is New Brighton Beach. We don’t see anything that’s firing for a while. The first time we even get a whisper of something rideable is early Monday morning on the 31st of August. It’s a clean, glassy morning with a touch of southeast swell. We’re talking about a baby 1.3ft at 12 seconds. It’s surfable, but it’s very ordinary. The energy is weak, too – only 62 in the combined energy. Not much to get excited about, but at least it’s not blown out.
The rest of that first week is really just poor surf conditions. We get some more clean days, but the swell is just too small – 1.6ft or less. The wind is mostly cross-off, which is nice, but there’s no power behind it. I’m seeing some periods get up there, like the 14-second stuff on the first of September, but the height just isn’t there. You’d be doing a lot of paddling for not a lot of push.
We finally see a pulse of swell coming in around the 8th of September. Tuesday morning and afternoon show a bit more size, with 4.3ft and 3.9ft of easterly-southeast swell. The period is short, though – only 7 to 8 seconds. So it’s likely to be a bit crumbly and disorganized. The wind is cross and cross-on, making it choppy. Honestly, that looks more like a kiteboarding day than a surfing day. For a paddle, that’s messy.
There’s an interesting one on the 11th of September, that Friday. We get a long-period southeast swell, 18 seconds, but the height is only 1.6ft. The energy is moderate, around 178-181, but for New Brighton, with a long-period swell like that, it could be breaking a bit too straight. The wind is cross-off in the afternoon, so it could be clean, but with that size, it’s a micro-wave. Not really a standout, just more promise than anything else.
So, look, the honest truth is there’s no real standout in this whole 16-day window. We’ve got a lot of small, weak surf and a long wait. The few days with a little more energy are chopped up by cross-shore winds. If you’re desperate, the clean glassy mornings at the end of August and start of September will give you something to ride, even if it’s ankle-biters. But for a real session, the forecast just doesn’t have it. It tends not to stay this poor for long, though. Forecasts can change, so keep your hopes up. For now, it’s all about patience.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri afternoon, min 7°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NE on Thu afternoon, calm by Sat night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Mon night. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun afternoon, min 5°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon morning, fresh winds from the SW by Mon night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | ||||||||||||||
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 17 | NE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | SE 13 | ESE 12 | N 4 | NE 4 | SSE 17 | SSE 12 | SSE 13 | SSE 16 | SSE 14 | SSE 14 | SE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | NNW 4 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
94 | 420 | 334 | 165 | 64 | 25 | 44 | 14 | 12 | 5 | 113 | 61 | 101 | 97 | 111 | 166 | 52 | 40 | 28 | 10 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | off | on | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 4:06PM1.86m | 4:22AM1.75m | 4:46PM1.87m | 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 | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:17PM0.34m | 10:30AM0.28m | 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 | |||||||
— | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | |
5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 9 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 16 | 16 | 10 | 8 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 15 |
Feels °C | 2 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 17 | ENE 7 | SE 12 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | ESE 13 | NE 4 | ENE 7 | NE 4 | SSE 17 | SSE 12 | SSE 13 | SSE 16 | SSE 14 | SSE 14 | SE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SSE 10 |
94 | 120 | 23 | 165 | 64 | 25 | 17 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 113 | 61 | 101 | 97 | 111 | 166 | 52 | 40 | 28 | 10 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 12 | SSE 12 | — | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | NNW 4 | SSE 10 | ENE 8 | SE 12 | NNW 3 | ENE 8 | E 7 | SW 3 | NNE 4 | — | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SE 13 |
13 | 31 | — | 12 | 12 | 4 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 12 | — | SE 14 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | SE 13 | ESE 12 | S 16 | ENE 7 | E 12 | — | E 7 | NE 10 | NE 9 | — | — | S 18 | ENE 10 | E 10 |
— | 3 | — | 8 | 19 | 17 | 44 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 3 | — | 1 | 4 | 3 | — | — | 6 | 10 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 5 | NE 7 | ENE 8 | NNW 3 | NNW 3 | — | ENE 8 | NW 3 | N 4 | WNW 3 | SSW 3 | WSW 3 | — | NW 3 | SSW 13 | — | NNE 3 | N 3 | N 4 | NNW 4 |
77 | 420 | 334 | 7 | 4 | — | 25 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 7 | 3 | — | 3 | 4697 | — | 6 | 7 | 17 | 10 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 255 | 40 | 40 | 20 | 0 | 4 | 40 | 33 | 49 | 154 | 0 | 0 | 135 | 576 | 155 | 12 | 10 | 4 | 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.











