New Brighton Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 43.47° S 172.72° E

New Brighton Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 am 23 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's New Brighton Beach sea temperature is
9.7° C
0.2° 

New Brighton Beach surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


New Brighton Beach surf forecast from 23 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 27 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, E swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 14s period, E swell with 598 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 24 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s period with NE 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 (Jul 24) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 4s. 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 1.2m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 7s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 9PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 3PM (Fri 24th Jul)1.5ft (0.5m) 9s
Best Surf 6PM (Mon 27th Jul)3ft (0.9m) 16s
Most Powerful 3AM (Tue 28th Jul)4ft (1.2m) 14s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for New Brighton Beach over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for New Brighton Beach. It's a bit of a slow burner, but there's some light at the end of the tunnel.

Right now, the 16-day window kicks off on Thursday the 23rd of July, but don't bother paddling out just yet. The first few days are a write-off. Thursday morning has a tiny 2.0ft swell from the NE with a period of only 4 seconds – that’s barely a ripple. The combined energy is a weak 21. The water is sitting at 49.5°, which is about average for the time of year. Friday and Saturday aren't much better; we’ve got strong winds that are either onshore or just too strong to make it fun. Saturday morning even sees a 0.7ft swell with a 25 mph offshore wind, which is a nightmare to paddle into.

We’ve got a gap of poor conditions until Sunday the 26th of July. The surf is still small, around 1.6ft to 2.0ft, but the wind finally turns favourable. Sunday morning is clean with a light offshore breeze from the WSW, and the wave energy is starting to build (197). The swell is coming from the E with a period of 15 seconds – that’s a long period groundswell, which means better shaped waves, longer gaps between sets, and easier paddling. It’s still small, but it’s clean. Monday the 27th keeps that trend going with glassy conditions in the afternoon and a combined energy of 259.

Now for the standout. Tuesday the 28th of July is the first real highlight. The morning session is where it’s at. We’ve got a 3.9ft swell from the E (14-second period), a clean cross-offshore breeze from the WNW, and the combined energy jumps to 590 – that’s moderate but solid. The water is still around 49.5°, and the conditions are described as "clean." This is a good call for a longboard or a funboard. The afternoon turns a bit onshore, so get out early.

We then have a bit of a lull through the 29th and 30th, with onshore winds and smaller, weaker swell. The 31st of July morning pulls us back in with a light offshore and 2.0ft of ESE swell at 15 seconds, delivering 296 energy – a clean, fun little session.

The real fireworks start to show up in the first week of August. Sunday the 2nd of August sees a bump in size with 4.9ft to 5.2ft of SE swell, but the period drops to 8 seconds and the wind is onshore and choppy. That’s a messy one, and at 4.9ft+ it might be too much for beginners on a messy day.

The best of the entire forecast lands on the 7th of August – Friday morning. That’s over a week away, so treat it as a promising but not locked-in call. The swell is 4.9ft from the ESE, period 12 seconds, with a light cross-offshore breeze from the SW. The combined energy hits 790 – strong wave energy. Conditions are clean and the forecast says "very good surf conditions." This looks like the session to aim for. At 4.9ft, it’s a solid intermediate size. The wind is clean, and the 12-second period will give it some punch.

Given that New Brighton Beach is a fairly exposed beach break, that long period ESE swell on the 7th could be a bit straight. But with the cross-offshore wind, it should still hold shape nicely.

One last thing: the afternoon of the 2nd of August has 5.2ft of short-period, onshore chop. That setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Alright, I’m rusty. Catch you in the water.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Fri night. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu afternoon, min 3°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu morning, fresh winds from the SW by Sat morning).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 11°C on Tue afternoon, min 3°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light.

Thursday
23
Friday
24
Saturday
25
Sunday
26
Monday
27
Tuesday
28
Wednesday
29
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
1
1
1
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.6
NE
4
0.4
NE
5
0.8
NNE
4
1
NNE
5
0.5
NE
9
0.6
NE
7
0.2
ESE
13
0.3
ESE
18
0.5
E
16
0.6
E
15
0.5
E
14
0.5
E
13
0.6
E
13
0.8
E
14
1.1
E
15
1.2
E
14
1.2
E
14
1.1
E
14
1
E
13
0.9
E
13
0.8
E
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
14
5
19
44
38
43
17
61
132
159
106
92
123
236
517
590
581
462
356
280
206
Wind (km/h)
5
NE
15
N
25
NNE
25
N
5
NW
10
WSW
40
WSW
25
SW
15
WSW
10
WSW
10
WSW
10
WSW
10
W
5
NNW
5
WNW
5
WNW
5
NE
10
E
10
E
20
E
15
ENE
Wind State
glassy
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
off
off
off
off
off
glassy
glassy
cross-off
on
on
on
on
on
High Tide
12:14PM1.78m
00:33AM1.70m
1:04PM1.78m
1:22AM1.68m
1:51PM1.79m
2:08AM1.68m
2:35PM1.81m
2:51AM1.69m
3:18PM1.83m
3:33AM1.71m
3:59PM1.86m
4:15AM1.72m
4:41PM1.87m
Low Tide
6:18PM0.43m
6:36AM0.38m
7:08PM0.46m
7:23AM0.41m
7:56PM0.47m
8:08AM0.41m
8:42PM0.46m
8:52AM0.39m
9:26PM0.44m
9:36AM0.37m
10:10PM0.41m
10:20AM0.34m
10:54PM0.38m
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
rain showers
heavy rain
rain showers
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:50
7:50
7:50
7:48
7:48
7:47
7:46
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:19
5:20
5:21
5:22
5:22
5:23
5:24
 mm
7
11
1
Temp °C
9
14
13
13
14
10
5
6
5
6
8
5
8
10
9
9
11
10
9
9
9
Feels °C
8
10
7
8
12
7
-4
-1
1
2
4
1
4
6
6
6
8
6
5
4
5
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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