
Surf Forecasts:
New Brighton Beach surf forecast from 31 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 1 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 13s period, SE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 4 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 16s period, SSE swell with 377 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 1 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 13s period with SE 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 01) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 16s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at New Brighton Beach in the next 16 days are 0.9m 16s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 4.5m 14s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Sat 1st Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Sat 1st Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Tue 4th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for New Brighton Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s break it down.
Right out of the gate, New Brighton Beach is looking pretty quiet. From Friday, July 31st, through the first week of August, it’s mostly small, weak, and uninspiring. There’s a little bump on Saturday morning, August 1st, with a 3ft swell from the southeast, but the energy is only moderate (345). The wind is offshore, which is a plus, and the water temp is around 49°, which is about normal for this time of year. But honestly, it’s not going to get you stoked.
There’s a real dry spell here. From the 2nd through the 10th, it’s a lot of close-outs, onshore junk, or tiny, weak waves. The consistency is poor, and most sessions are just ordinary or poor. The energy drops way down, sometimes into the double digits, which is barely a ripple. It’s a tough stretch – a solid week-plus of nothing to get excited about.
Now, here’s where it gets good. The standout window is from August 11th through the 14th. On Tuesday morning the 11th, we see a jump to 6ft of east swell, with a period of 11 seconds and a very strong wave energy reading (798). The wind is glassy – dead calm. That’s the recipe for clean, lined-up waves. Wednesday the 12th is even better: still 6ft, 12-second period, and the energy hits a massive 1022. The wind is glassy again in the morning, and then light and cross-off in the afternoon. This is proper groundswell, and it’s going to hold shape well. Thursday the 13th keeps the run going – 6ft, 12 seconds, 933 energy, and glassy conditions. This is the best on offer, no question. The swell is solid, but at 6ft, it’s still manageable for confident intermediates, while the long period means it’ll have some real push and nice, clean lines. The crowds here are listed as “sometimes,” so you might have a few out, but it won’t be a zoo.
Friday the 14th still has some leftover juice: 5ft, 11 seconds, and 550 energy, but the wind picks up a bit. It’s still good, but the magic of the midweek is the true highlight. After that, the energy drops off quickly again into the weekend.
So, bottom line: if you’ve got patience, the first half of the month is a bust. But don’t sleep on Tuesday the 11th through Thursday the 13th. That’s the window. Glassy, strong east swell, decent period – just be ready for it.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Fri night. Very mild (max 13°C on Fri morning, min 3°C on Sat morning). Winds decreasing (near gales from the SW on Fri afternoon, calm by Sun morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Mon night. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon afternoon, min 4°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Mon night, calm by Wed night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 12 | E 11 | ESE 15 | SE 13 | SE 12 | ESE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SSE 14 | SSE 16 | SE 16 | SSE 16 | SSE 16 | SE 12 | SE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 14 | ENE 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
43 | 40 | 44 | 241 | 202 | 120 | 205 | 132 | 69 | 35 | 21 | 178 | 310 | 258 | 104 | 97 | 120 | 36 | 69 | 38 | 48 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | on | glassy | glassy | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 6:01PM1.86m | 6:18AM1.71m | 6:42PM1.83m | 7:00AM1.71m | 7:23PM1.81m | 7:44AM1.71m | 8:06PM1.78m | 8:31AM1.72m | 8:53PM1.76m | 9:22AM1.75m | 9:44PM1.75m | 10:17AM1.80m | 10:40PM1.76m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:47AM0.30m | 00:20AM0.34m | 12:31PM0.30m | 1:03AM0.33m | 1:16PM0.31m | 1:47AM0.33m | 2:03PM0.33m | 2:31AM0.32m | 2:52PM0.34m | 3:18AM0.31m | 3:43PM0.34m | 4:08AM0.29m | 4:37PM0.33m | ||||||||
7:43 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | |
— | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | |
mm | — | — | 13 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 16 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 7 |
Feels °C | 6 | 8 | -3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 6 | ENE 7 | ESE 15 | SE 13 | SE 12 | SE 10 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SSE 14 | SSE 16 | SE 16 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | ENE 6 |
21 | 19 | 44 | 241 | 202 | 102 | 205 | 132 | 69 | 35 | 21 | 178 | 310 | 258 | 66 | 69 | 120 | 36 | 69 | 37 | 48 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | E 11 | E 11 | ESE 16 | ESE 15 | ESE 13 | E 16 | E 16 | N 3 | NE 6 | NE 5 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | SSE 16 | SSE 16 | E 18 | SSE 11 | ENE 5 | ENE 5 | SE 10 |
43 | 40 | 21 | 95 | 86 | 120 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 104 | 97 | 6 | 24 | 9 | 5 | 35 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 9 | N 4 | ENE 8 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | NE 16 | NE 16 | S 20 | S 13 | — | — | — | — | E 12 | E 12 | NE 12 | ESE 16 | ESE 15 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 |
3 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 13 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 6 | 25 | 42 | 38 | 35 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 3 | WNW 3 | SSW 4 | SW 3 | SW 3 | — | NW 3 | — | NNW 3 | — | SSW 17 | S 13 | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | NE 5 | — | — | — |
5 | 4 | 34 | 4 | 1 | — | 2 | — | 4 | — | 170 | 3398 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 24 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 49 | 0 | 169 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 20 |
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.











