Surf Forecasts:
New Brighton Beach surf forecast from 29 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 2 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 17s period, SSE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 2 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 17s period, SSE swell with 261 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 31 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 0.5ft (0.2m), 17s 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 Monday (Aug 31) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.2m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 11s. Another secondary swell of 0.2m and 4s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at New Brighton Beach in the next 16 days are 0.7m 17s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 4.0m 12s period and expected on Monday (Aug 31) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Mon 31st Aug) | 0.5ft (0.2m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for New Brighton Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let's have a honest look at what's on offer for New Brighton Beach over the next couple of weeks. I've got to be straight with you – it's a pretty bleak run for the most part. The first real chance of anything surfable doesn't pop up until Tuesday, the 1st of September, and even then, it's nothing to write home about. The good news is that New Brighton is a fairly exposed spot, so when something does roll in, it can work. We just need a pulse of proper swell, and right now the long-range hints are, well, they're just hints.
The outlook starts with a couple of days of flat, clean conditions. Sunday and Monday, the 30th and 31st of August, are just poor. Tiny little slop, nothing moving. You're better off finding a rockpool.
Tuesday, the 1st of September, sees a small bump. The morning brings a 2ft swell from the SSE with a period of 12 seconds, and the wind is offshore from the SW. The combined energy is still weak at 96, but it's a start. It’s clean, but very ordinary. Not exactly going to be pumping, but it's the best we've seen in days. The afternoon goes cross-off and the swell drops a bit.
Wednesday the 2nd is the standout of this whole bleak period, and I mean that in a relative sense. The morning is a cracker. The wind goes glassy, which is a huge positive, and the swell jumps to 2ft from the SSE. The period stretches out to a very long 17 seconds, giving it that groundswell feel. The combined energy climbs to a moderate 261, so there's some real push behind it. For a beach break like New Brighton, that long period can make the waves a bit straight, but with no wind and clean conditions, you'll find a few decent ones. The afternoon holds in with a 2ft, 16-second swell from the SSE and a cross-off wind, still clean.
After Wednesday, it's back to the doldrums. Thursday the 3rd through Monday the 7th of September is a long, frustrating stretch. The swell drops, the wind swings onshore, and we get a mix of cross-chop and lumpy conditions. Sunday the 6th sees a spike in size to 4ft from the NNE, but it's accompanied by a strong, onshore wind that chops it all up. It's a classic case of ugly surf. If it were a beach-and-reef setup I'd say it looked more interesting for kite surfing, but as it stands, it's just a write-off for paddle surfing.
We get another small window on Tuesday the 8th of September with a clean 1ft from the ENE, but the energy is tiny. Then it’s more onshore junk through Wednesday the 9th.
The tail end of the run on Monday the 14th of September offers a glimmer. The morning shows a 0.6ft swell from the SSE with an 18-second period, pushing the combined energy to a moderate 56. The wind is light and cross-off, leaving it clean. It's tiny, but that long period means the sets could have some shape. It's the most promising thing in the second week, but it's a long way out, so take it with a grain of salt.
Overall, this is a dry spell. For a spot that can be inconsistent, a run this flat isn't out of the ordinary, but it stings. The best bet is to keep an eye on Wednesday the 2nd for a glassy, long-period SSE swell, and maybe that Monday the 14th if the long-range holds. Everything else is a miss.
Stay patient, stay salty. - Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun afternoon, min 6°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Sun afternoon, calm by Mon morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri morning, min 5°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed morning, strong winds from the WNW by Fri morning). | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | ||||||||||||||
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) | NE 8 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | SSE 17 | SSE 12 | NE 8 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SE 12 | SSE 17 | SSE 16 | SE 13 | NE 8 | SSE 16 | N 4 | NE 5 | ENE 5 | E 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
15 | 5 | 6 | 29 | 14 | 11 | 114 | 94 | 85 | 69 | 258 | 166 | 47 | 35 | 25 | 30 | 13 | 3 | 2 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 5:45AM1.79m | 6:08PM1.86m | 6:30AM1.81m | 6:52PM1.84m | 7:17AM1.83m | 7:40PM1.82m | 8:07AM1.84m | 8:31PM1.80m | 9:02AM1.87m | 9:27PM1.78m | 10:02AM1.89m | 10:27PM1.79m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 3:27PM0.29m | 3:49AM0.24m | 4:24PM0.29m | |||||||
— | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | |
— | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:05 | — | |
mm | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 9 | 12 | 15 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 10 |
Feels °C | 5 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 8 | N 4 | ENE 7 | SSE 11 | N 3 | NE 8 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SE 12 | SSE 17 | SSE 16 | SE 13 | NE 8 | SSE 16 | SSE 11 | NE 5 | ENE 5 | NE 6 |
15 | 2 | 5 | 25 | 1 | 3 | 114 | 94 | 85 | 69 | 258 | 166 | 42 | 35 | 25 | 11 | 13 | 2 | 1 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 3 | ENE 7 | SE 12 | SSE 4 | SSE 12 | NE 8 | NE 9 | E 9 | E 10 | SSE 16 | NNE 3 | E 11 | SE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 9 | E 12 | S 10 | NE 9 | S 8 |
2 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 14 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 52 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 12 | W 3 | S 16 | SSE 17 | SSE 5 | — | E 11 | — | — | E 9 | E 11 | — | SE 12 | — | SE 11 | E 10 | E 10 | S 9 | E 10 |
6 | 1 | 5 | 29 | 3 | — | 2 | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | 6 | — | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 4 | — | NW 3 | SSW 10 | — | S 12 | SSW 12 | SW 3 | SSW 3 | — | — | N 3 | NE 5 | — | NE 6 | N 4 | NW 3 | WNW 4 | NNW 4 |
18 | — | 5 | 2733 | — | 77 | 3876 | 4 | 3 | — | — | 7 | 47 | — | 5 | 30 | 1 | 17 | 15 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 4 | 33 | 47 | 0 | 20 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 43 | 49 | 49 | 177 | 33 |
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.











