New Brighton Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 43.47° S 172.72° E

New Brighton Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 pm 20 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's New Brighton Beach sea temperature is
10.2° C
0.6° 

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 20 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 26 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 13s period, E swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 17s period, ESE swell with 530 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 14s 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 Tuesday (Jul 21) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 4s. 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 1.0m 17s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 3AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6AM (Tue 21st Jul)1.5ft (0.4m) 14s
Best Surf 9PM (Sun 26th Jul)2.5ft (0.7m) 13s
Most Powerful 9PM (Sat 25th Jul)3.5ft (1.0m) 17s

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


The Lowdown

Right, folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the menu for New Brighton Beach over the next couple of weeks.

Alright, the honest truth is it’s a pretty quiet start. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing much to write home about, with the first real hint of something worthwhile not showing up until the 2nd of August. The first week or so is mostly small, weak, and wonky, with a lot of "poor surf conditions" flagged. You’ll be waiting a while.

The one break we’re looking at is New Brighton Beach. It’s a beginner spot that’s inconsistent, and the water temp is sitting at 50°F, which is about 1°F above normal for this time of year – nothing unusual there.

Monday 20th July kicks off with a tiny 2ft SSE swell, but it’s got a super long 19-second period. That’s a groundswell, but the energy is only moderate (361). The wind is onshore though, so it’ll be a bit messy. It’s a marginal call.

The rest of that week and into the next is a real grind. Tuesday 21st has a tiny 1ft SE swell in the morning with cross-offshore wind, and that afternoon goes glassy with only 1.0ft of swell. All very ordinary. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday are all dominated by poor conditions with choppy, cross-shore, or strong winds, and swell heights barely cracking 2ft. The energy values are all low, mostly under 50. It’s a quiet period.

The weekend of the 25th and 26th of July is a bit of a mixed bag. Saturday morning has a clean 0.7ft swell with offshore wind, but it’s tiny. The afternoon sees a bump in energy to 225 with a 2ft E swell, but the wind is cross-onshore, making it choppy. Sunday afternoon looks a bit cleaner with 2ft E swell and offshore wind, but it’s still just "surfable." Nothing to get excited about.

The pattern continues through to the end of July. There are a few cleaner windows, like Monday 27th morning with a 3ft E swell (231 energy) and light winds, or Thursday 30th morning with a 2ft E swell. But the consistency isn’t there, and the quality is just "ordinary."

Now, here’s the standout. Sunday 2nd of August is the day to circle. The morning kicks off with a 3ft ESE swell, 13-second period, and clean conditions with light cross-offshore wind. The energy is a solid 294. The afternoon is even better – same 3ft ESE swell, but the period stretches to 14 seconds, the energy jumps to 408, and the wind stays clean and cross-offshore. That’s the best combo we’ve seen. It’s a long-range call, so a bit less certain, but it’s the only real promise in the whole period.

Monday 3rd August still has some clean 2ft ESE swell, but the wind turns onshore in the afternoon, so surf it early. After that, it fades out again.

So, you’re looking at a long wait. The best bet is the 2nd of August at New Brighton, with a clean, waist-high groundswell from the ESE. Don’t hold your breath for the rest.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 10°C on Tue afternoon, min 7°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Fri night. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu afternoon, min 4°C on Fri night). Mainly strong winds.

Mon
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
Saturday
25
Sunday
26
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.7
SSE
19
0.4
SSE
16
0.4
SE
14
0.3
SSE
12
0.2
SSE
11
0.2
E
11
0.1
E
11
0.2
ESE
11
0.6
NE
4
0.7
N
4
1
NNE
4
0.9
NNE
5
0.4
NE
8
0.4
ENE
8
0.3
SE
9
0.6
E
18
0.4
ESE
16
0.6
E
15
0.6
E
14
0.7
E
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
312
107
46
31
12
9
4
12
10
12
35
39
18
26
17
225
85
155
150
170
Wind (km/h)
10
ENE
15
NE
5
NW
5
E
10
W
10
WSW
10
E
10
ENE
5
NE
25
NNW
25
NNE
30
NNE
20
NNW
15
WSW
20
W
20
NE
15
WSW
20
SSW
15
WSW
10
NNE
Wind State
on
on
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
off
on
on
glassy
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross
off
off
cross-on
off
cross-off
off
cross-on
High Tide
9:51PM1.90m
10:24AM1.84m
10:47PM1.81m
11:21AM1.80m
11:41PM1.74m
12:14PM1.78m
00:33AM1.70m
1:04PM1.78m
1:22AM1.68m
1:51PM1.79m
2:08AM1.68m
2:35PM1.81m
2:51AM1.69m
Low Tide
3:38PM0.20m
4:07AM0.19m
4:33PM0.29m
4:58AM0.27m
5:26PM0.37m
5:48AM0.33m
6:18PM0.43m
6:36AM0.38m
7:08PM0.46m
7:23AM0.41m
7:56PM0.47m
8:08AM0.41m
8:42PM0.46m
clear
clear
cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
rain showers
clear
cloud
light rain
mod rain
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:52
7:52
7:50
7:50
7:50
7:48
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:15
5:16
5:17
5:19
5:20
5:21
5:22
 mm
12
5
7
Temp °C
9
8
8
10
9
10
10
9
9
15
12
14
14
9
7
8
8
6
7
5
Feels °C
6
4
6
8
6
8
7
6
7
9
6
8
9
5
3
2
2
1
2
1
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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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