Surf Forecasts:
New Brighton Beach surf forecast from 25 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 26 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 0.5ft (0.2m), 17s period, SSE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 28 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 8s period, NE swell with 314 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 26 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 Wednesday (Aug 26) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.2m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 14s. Another secondary swell of 0.7m 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 1.6m 8s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Wed 26th Aug) | 0.5ft (0.2m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Wed 26th Aug) | 0.5ft (0.2m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for New Brighton Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here. Let's talk about what's brewing for New Brighton Beach over the next few weeks.
Right off the bat, I gotta be honest: it's a quiet stretch. There's not much surf on the cards, and for long spells, you're better off staying home. We’re talking multi-day gaps with nothing rideable. The first sign of life doesn't show up until Friday, August 28, and even then, it's not a classic.
Let's run through it. Tuesday, August 25, is a total dud—tiny, onshore winds, combined energy of just 39. Wednesday is the same story with no swell and cross-breezes. On the 27th of August, we get a weird one: onshore winds and a bit of chop, but the swell period jumps way up over 16 seconds and energy hits 136. That's a long-period groundswell, but the wind will ruin it. Not worth the paddle.
Then we get to Friday, August 28. This is the highlight of the whole outlook. On Friday morning, there's a 1.6m swell (about 5 feet) from the NE with a period of 8 seconds and combined energy of 332—that's moderate to strong for this beach. The wind is cross-onshore from the NNE, making it lumpy, but it’s the only day with any real size. Friday afternoon cleans up as the wind goes cross-off from the NW, swell dropping to 1.1m (about 4 feet). This is the best window. The swell direction (NE) isn't a perfect match for New Brighton's optimum (ENE), but it's close enough to get some fun peaks.
After that, it's flat again. Saturday and Sunday (August 29 & 30) are tiny and wind-affected. Monday, September 1, and Tuesday, September 2, see small, weak swell with onshore or cross-off breezes. The water temp is about 50°F, which is a touch warmer than average for this time of year, so you'll still want a good wetsuit.
The second week is more of the same. September 3 offers a 1.0m (3ft) NNE swell with a very short 4-second period, but the wind goes light offshore from the west, and it's clean. That's a close second option for the whole run. The best of the rest is on September 5 (Saturday), with glassy conditions and a tiny 0.4 to 0.5m (1 to 2ft) SE swell. It’s small, but clean.
Finally, on Tuesday, September 8, we get a little bump: 0.4m (1ft) swell from the SSE, clean and offshore. It’s the only time the conditions are described as "surfable waves" (score of 1/10). Even then, the energy is just 64.
Look, there’s no pumping days in this run. If you’re dead keen, Friday, August 28, is your best shot, and maybe the clean tiny waves on September 5. Otherwise, it’s a long wait. The momentum is low, but forecasts can change, so keep the faith.
Stay patient.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Wed night. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue morning, min 6°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, fresh winds from the ENE by Thu afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri morning, min 3°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NNE on Fri morning, calm by Fri night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NNW 4 | E 14 | SSE 17 | E 14 | SE 3 | SSE 17 | SSE 17 | SSE 16 | ENE 7 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 4 | ENE 5 | NE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 9 | SSE 12 | SSE 13 | SSE 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
24 | 15 | 30 | 14 | 12 | 101 | 116 | 98 | 110 | 314 | 173 | 62 | 45 | 22 | 16 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 98 | 109 | 46 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-on | off | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-off | off | on | on | off | cross | cross-off | off | cross-on | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:45PM1.82m | 3:01AM1.70m | 3:26PM1.84m | 3:42AM1.72m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:51PM0.43m | 9:02AM0.35m | 9:34PM0.38m | 9:45AM0.31m | 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 | ||||||||
7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | |
— | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 4 | 10 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 8 |
Feels °C | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 5 | -1 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 0 | -2 | 4 | 8 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 14 | E 14 | SSE 17 | E 14 | NNE 4 | ESE 5 | SSE 17 | SSE 16 | SE 12 | SSE 11 | ENE 8 | NE 8 | SSE 10 | ESE 13 | ENE 5 | NNE 4 | ENE 7 | ENE 9 | SSE 12 | SSE 13 | SE 9 |
15 | 15 | 30 | 14 | 1 | 9 | 116 | 98 | 38 | 13 | 173 | 62 | 10 | 17 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 98 | 109 | 27 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | S 18 | E 14 | S 17 | NNE 4 | SSE 17 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 12 | E 16 | SSE 11 | ESE 14 | ESE 13 | SSE 10 | ENE 8 | NE 6 | S 15 | E 12 | SSE 18 | SSE 18 | SSE 15 |
20 | 25 | 15 | 6 | 6 | 101 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 5 | 12 | 18 | 17 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 32 | 32 | 46 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | S 9 | S 9 | E 11 | — | E 13 | — | — | — | — | SE 14 | SSE 11 | S 15 | S 14 | SE 12 | SE 12 | E 12 | — | E 9 | E 9 | E 11 |
2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | 13 | — | — | — | — | 8 | 11 | 17 | 15 | 6 | 6 | 3 | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 4 | NW 4 | N 4 | N 4 | SE 3 | SSE 5 | E 3 | ENE 5 | ENE 7 | NE 8 | NNW 3 | — | ENE 8 | NE 4 | NNW 3 | NW 3 | NNE 4 | S 3 | SW 3 | SW 3 | NNE 3 |
24 | 21 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 42 | 5 | 67 | 110 | 314 | 10 | — | 45 | 22 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 43 | 10 | 0 | 36 | 124 | 0 | 45 | 169 | 54 | 40 | 124 | 0 | 40 | 43 | 33 | 55 | 33 | 81 | 20 | 4 | 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.











