Onekaka Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(Nelson – Tasman Bay, New Zealand)

Forecast
- Hourly Forecast
- 16 Day Forecast
Maps
Live
Weather State
Spot Information

Onekaka Surf Guide

Onekaka in Nelson - Tasman Bay is an exposed beach break. Summer in particular tends to be flat. Offshore winds are from the southwest with some shelter here from west winds. Able to handle light onshore wind The short fetch makes for windswells rather than groundswells and the ideal wave angle is from the east northeast. The beach break provides left and right handers. Crowds are never a problem here.

Onekaka Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Beach	2	rarely breaks	16.1°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Onekaka:

The best conditions reported for surf at Onekaka occur when a East-northeast swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the Southwest.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

What's the best time of year to surf Onekaka (for consistent clean waves)?

januaryBest Season: winter

The best time of year for surfing Onekaka with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winter and most often the month of January. Clean surfable waves are typically found 0% of the time in January while 3% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 97% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.

blown out

Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).

too small

97%

Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Onekaka Location Map

Interactive Onekaka surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The closest passenger airport to Onekaka is Nelson Airport (NSN) in New Zealand, 75 km (47 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Onekaka is Woodbourne Airport (BHE), also in New Zealand, 130 km (81 miles) away.

Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)

Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.

Onekaka Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Wednesday, 6 May 2026, 05:22 Local Time

m, °C	Wednesday 06
ft, °F	3AM	6AM	9AM	12PM
Wave (m)
Period (s)	-	-	-	-
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	off	glass	glass	cross- on

What does Onekaka look like?

Latest photos from Onekaka. Upload your own or view all photos on the gallery page.

Credit: Rob Davies Credit: Rob Davies Credit: Rob Davies Credit: Rob Davies

Tides at Onekaka

Current tide and informaton

For Collingwood, New Zealand, 10 km from Onekaka.

Next High Water: 11:53am | 3.75m

Next Low Water: 05:23am | 0.74m

NEXT	IS AT (local time)	remaining
high tide
low tide

Onekaka Sea Temperature

The water temperature (16.1 °C) at Onekaka is quite cool. If the sun shines as we have forecast, it should feel warm enough to surf in a good spring wetsuit. Effective windchill factor of (18.0 °C) will make the air and water feel about the same temperature.

Today, many surfers would wear a spring wetsuit.

Current Temp*: 16.1°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite