Surf Forecasts:
Ocean Beach surf forecast from 15 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 16 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 8s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 12s period, S swell with 8,166 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 16 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 8s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Ocean Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Ocean Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 16) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 1.4m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.7m and 8s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Ocean Beach in the next 16 days are 5.5m 12s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3PM (Sun 16th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 3PM (Sun 16th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 18ft (5.5m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Ocean Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what we’ve got on the cards for Ocean Beach over the next couple of weeks, and I gotta say, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. There are some serious pulses of energy coming through, but the size is going to be the big talking point.
The first thing you need to know is that Ocean Beach is firing on all cylinders for a couple of days, but it’s going to be way too big for most of us. We’re looking at a window from Sunday the 16th through Wednesday the 19th where the swell just keeps pumping. It kicks off on Sunday morning with a clean 5ft east swell, but the energy is already building. By Sunday afternoon, it’s jumping to a solid 12ft from the southwest, and the combined energy is into the moderate range at (1882). The wind is a strong cross-off, so it’ll be blowing off the land, but honestly, that size is pushing it for a beginner spot like this.
Monday the 17th is more of the same. The morning has a hefty 12ft southeast swell with a period of 10 seconds, and the energy is getting even stronger at (2654). The wind is a fresh cross-shore, so it’s going to be lumpy and tricky. The afternoon drops a little to 10ft, but the energy is still there. Tuesday the 18th starts with a manageable-looking 8ft, but it’s still too big for the average surfer, and the afternoon blows up to 13ft from the south with a strong (3186) energy reading. Wednesday the 19th is the peak of it all. The morning sees a massive 16ft south swell with a long 12-second period, and the energy is off the charts at (6614). This is big, powerful, and only for the most experienced chargers. The wind is moderate and cross-off, so it will be clean, but this is a seriously heavy day.
After that, things start to settle down. By Thursday the 20th, the swell drops to a much more user-friendly 7ft from the south, and the wind goes light and cross-off. The energy drops back to (1105), and the forecast is saying “very good surf conditions.” This is where the week starts to turn for the better. Friday the 21st has a smaller 5ft south swell with a light offshore in the morning, looking clean. The afternoon brings a 5ft south swell with a very long 16-second period, but the wind turns light and onshore, so it’s a bit of a wash.
The standout window, though, is Saturday the 22nd. We’ve got a clean 3ft south swell with a solid 12-second period, and the morning wind is a light cross-off. But the afternoon... the afternoon is glass. The wind is virtually nothing, the swell is still a clean 3ft, and it’s just going to be perfect, clean lines with no chop. This is the one to circle on the calendar. The energy is low, around (310), but the quality is going to be top-notch.
After that, it gets pretty quiet. Sunday the 23rd has small, weak surf, and the rest of the following week looks like a bit of a drought. There are a few small pulses around the 3ft to 4ft mark later in the week, particularly on Wednesday the 26th, where we see a glassy 5ft south swell in the afternoon, but the periods are short and the energy is weak. Nothing really gets going again until around Saturday the 29th, when we see a clean 5ft south swell with light offshore winds, but it’s still a far cry from the earlier power.
So, to be straight with you: the real surf is this week, but it’s way too big for the break. The best bet for a good, clean, fun session for the average surfer is Saturday the 22nd. Keep an eye on that glassy afternoon. It’s going to be worth it. The water is about 54°, which is 3° colder than normal for this time of year, so it’s a bit brisk—definitely grab the hood.
The waves will clean up by the end of August, but for now, be patient. This is a spot that doesn’t stay flat for long.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Sun morning. Very mild (max 10°C on Sun morning, min 5°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SSW on Sun morning, moderate winds from the WSW by Mon night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu morning, min 7°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | |||||||||||||||
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 9 | SSW 8 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSW 8 | S 10 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 14 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 10 | S 16 | S 14 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
373 | 1520 | 2923 | 2251 | 1600 | 971 | 727 | 3186 | 8166 | 6614 | 4515 | 6135 | 851 | 539 | 357 | 424 | 1306 | 780 | 299 | 284 | 228 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:25PM1.59m | 8:52AM1.50m | 9:15PM1.53m | 9:43AM1.47m | 10:05PM1.47m | 10:32AM1.44m | 10:54PM1.41m | 11:21AM1.41m | 11:42PM1.35m | 12:09PM1.38m | 00:30AM1.31m | 12:56PM1.36m | 1:18AM1.28m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:14PM0.05m | 2:46AM0.06m | 3:07PM0.10m | 3:36AM0.10m | 3:58PM0.15m | 4:23AM0.15m | 4:48PM0.20m | 5:10AM0.21m | 5:37PM0.25m | 5:56AM0.26m | 6:25PM0.30m | 6:42AM0.30m | 7:12PM0.33m | ||||||||
6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | |
— | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | |
mm | 6 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 15 | 17 | 12 |
Feels °C | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 12 | 15 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 9 | ESE 9 | E 10 | E 10 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | — | SE 15 | — | ESE 14 | S 14 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | S 10 | S 16 | S 14 | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 12 |
373 | 292 | 366 | 250 | 206 | 971 | 365 | — | 9 | — | 18 | 4321 | 851 | 539 | 357 | 424 | 1306 | 780 | 299 | 284 | 228 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 17 | NE 8 | S 19 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | E 10 | E 9 | — | — | — | — | — | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | S 17 | SE 11 | ESE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 13 |
166 | 70 | 182 | 153 | 176 | 128 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | 222 | 73 | 61 | 205 | 30 | 60 | 25 | 10 | 33 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 11 | ESE 13 | S 16 | ESE 9 | SE 8 | E 15 | E 15 | E 14 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 115 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 32 | 17 | 47 | 30 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 16 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 5 | SSW 8 | S 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | S 10 | S 12 | S 12 | S 12 | S 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 3 | WSW 4 | — |
78 | 1520 | 2923 | 2251 | 1600 | 559 | 727 | 3186 | 8166 | 6614 | 4515 | 6135 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 6 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 199 | 204 | 167 | 34 | 252 | 6 | 240 | 255 | 255 | 252 | 20 | 34 | 0 | 67 | 0 | 0 | 67 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Hawkes Bay | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Ocean Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Ocean Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Ocean Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Ocean 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 (Ocean 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 Ocean 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.
Ocean Beach is 20 km (12 miles) from the city of Hastings. If you plan a holiday in Hawkes Bay, look for hotels and other accommodation in Hastings. Hastings has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











