Surf Forecasts:
New Brighton Beach surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 5s period, NNE swell with 77 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s period with ESE 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 19) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 9s. 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 1.3m 5s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) 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 0.8m 3s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Wed 26th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for New Brighton Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right folks, Rusty here. We’ve got a bit of a patience test on our hands with New Brighton Beach over the next 16 days. The overall pattern is one of long, flat spells broken only by a few brief windows of tiny, surfable waves. There’s no real standout surf in the near future, and the best we can hope for are a couple of mornings with clean, small waves that won’t exactly have you sprinting for the water.
The immediate outlook is grim, with the first surfable recommendation not kicking in until the very end of this coming week. You’re looking at a big gap from now all the way through the weekend and into early next week with nothing but poor surf conditions or straight-up flat spells.
The first bit of hope comes on Thursday, 28 August. The swell is coming from the NNE at 8ft with a short period of 8 seconds. The combined swell energy is very strong at 1125, but the conditions are described as poor with a moderate cross-onshore wind making it choppy. This is a big, messy, short-period swell – it’s not going to be a clean ride and is really only for experienced surfers if they’re desperate.
After that, we get a few small windows. The most notable of the whole lot is on Saturday, 29 August. The morning offers 2ft of swell from the E (8 seconds) with a clean cross-offshore wind from the SW at 9 mph. The combined energy is moderate at 113. It’s not big, but it’s clean. The afternoon follows with 1ft swell from the ESE (16 seconds, a long period) and the same clean cross-off wind, with energy at 188. This is a classic long-period groundswell and will be slow, fat, and tricky on a beach break, but if you’re looking for a quiet, clean paddle, this is your best bet. Crowds can be an issue at New Brighton sometimes, but with conditions this small it might not be a worry.
Moving into the second week, we see another clean option on Monday, 1 September, with a glassy 2ft from the SE (9 seconds) in the morning – energy is moderate at 153. Again, small but clean. After that, the forecast trails off into tiny, onshore slop with no further recommendations.
Real talk: the surf is small and inconsistent for the entire 16-day window. The water temp is currently 50°F, about 1°F warmer than average for this time of year, so pretty much what you'd expect for a cold winter paddle. If you’re itching to get wet, Saturday 29 August and Monday 1 September mornings are your only real chances for a clean, small-wave session, but keep your expectations in check. For the rest, it’s a kite-surfing kind of pattern with the bigger, windblown swells later on.
That’s the long and short of it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Wed morning. Very mild (max 12°C on Wed afternoon, min 6°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon afternoon, min 8°C on Sat morning). Winds increasing (calm on Sat morning, strong winds from the NW by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 15 | E 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SSE 17 | SSE 16 | SSE 16 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | N 4 | NE 4 | E 13 | E 13 | E 14 | E 13 | E 14 | SSE 16 | E 14 | SSE 15 | N 4 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
89 | 56 | 52 | 26 | 29 | 26 | 24 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 24 | 3 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 25 | 16 | 22 | 16 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | off | glassy | glassy | on | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 9:51AM1.81m | 10:14PM1.74m | 10:46AM1.78m | 11:08PM1.69m | 11:40AM1.76m | 00:01AM1.66m | 12:31PM1.76m | 00:50AM1.65m | 1:18PM1.77m | 1:36AM1.66m | 2:03PM1.79m | 2:20AM1.68m | 2:45PM1.82m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:02PM0.36m | 4:24AM0.34m | 4:54PM0.42m | 5:13AM0.40m | 5:45PM0.47m | 6:01AM0.43m | 6:34PM0.49m | 6:48AM0.44m | 7:21PM0.48m | 7:34AM0.42m | 8:07PM0.46m | 8:18AM0.39m | 8:51PM0.43m | ||||||||
7:18 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | |
— | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 9 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 16 | 17 | 12 | 16 | 17 | 15 |
Feels °C | 6 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | E 10 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | SSE 16 | SSE 12 | NE 4 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | NE 4 | NE 6 | E 13 | E 14 | N 4 | NNE 4 | E 14 | E 14 | E 14 | E 14 |
72 | 56 | 52 | 26 | 14 | 16 | 24 | 14 | 4 | 11 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 14 | 16 | 7 | 2 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 15 | SE 8 | S 13 | SSE 7 | SE 7 | SSE 16 | E 10 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 15 | ENE 5 | NNW 3 | NE 5 | S 16 | E 13 | E 14 | SSE 16 | S 16 | SSE 15 | S 14 |
89 | 25 | 13 | 5 | 8 | 26 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 14 | 15 | 25 | 20 | 22 | 4 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | SSE 14 | ESE 13 | SE 11 | SSE 17 | SE 8 | E 12 | S 15 | SSE 11 | E 15 | E 9 | NE 9 | E 13 | SE 9 | — | S 15 | S 17 | — | E 12 | — | — |
25 | 41 | 16 | 5 | 29 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 3 | — | 18 | 22 | — | 3 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | — | N 3 | N 4 | NNW 3 | NW 4 | NNW 3 | NNW 4 | NW 3 | — | NW 3 | — | — | N 4 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | 8 | 24 | 4 | 9 | 6 | 13 | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | 16 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 4 | 33 | 20 | 43 | 33 | 43 | 43 | 49 | 33 | 43 | 40 | 40 | 20 | 4 | 43 | 49 | 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.











