Papatowai Surf Forecast

/ Catlins (9 surf breaks) /

New Zealand (466 surf breaks) / Lat Long: (46.58° S 169.48° E)

Surf Forecasts

Papatowai surfForecast / Catlins / New Zealand

48hr Weather and Surf, issued 5 am Monday 18 Aug 2025 NZST

Forecast update in hr min s Forecast update imminent

Papatowai surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.

Today's Papatowai sea temperature is 11.4° C
(Which is 2.1°C warmer than normal for this time of year)

How big are the waves at Papatowai today?

The current surf forecast for Papatowai at 7AM is: 2.4m 14s primary swell from a Southwest direction and 0.4m 8s secondary swell from a East-northeast direction (forecast issued at 05:00am August 18). The wind direction is predicted to be cross-onshore.

Time (NZST) & Date	Wave Height	Wave Period
Morning (18 Aug)	7ft (2.2m)	13s
Afternoon (18 Aug)	6.5ft (2.0m)	13s
Evening (18 Aug)	7ft (2.2m)	12s

Table - waves today at Papatowai. (Swell directed towards the surf break)

Hourly 12 Days

Catlins Surf

Print Surf Table

Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent

	Monday 18							Tuesday 19								Wednesday 20								Thu 21
	3 AM	6 AM	9 AM	12 PM	3 PM	6 PM	9 PM	0 AM	3 AM	6 AM	9 AM	12 PM	3 PM	6 PM	9 PM	0 AM	3 AM	6 AM	9 AM	12 PM	3 PM	6 PM	9 PM	0 AM
Rating (10 max)	2	2	3	4	4	4	2	1	2	2	2	3	3	4	3	4	4	4	5	5	4	5	5	5
Swell Height Map See all maps
Wave Height (m) & direction (?)	SW	SW	SW	SW	SSW	SSW	SW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW
Period(s) (?)	14	14	13	13	13	12	12	7	9	9	10	11	12	12	12	12	12	15	15	14	14	14	15	15
Wave Graph (?)
Energy (?)	2605	2201	1776	1583	1304	1029	2240	917	1648	2201	2448	2852	2957	2666	1947	2537	3031	3207	4215	4021	4136	3848	3569	3678
Wind (km/h)	ESE	SE	S	SSW	WNW	W	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	WSW	SW	WSW	W
Wind State (?) onshore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore offshore glassy	cross- on	cross- on	cross	cross- off	off	off	cross- off	cross- off	cross- off	cross- off	cross- off	cross- off	cross- off	off	cross- off	cross- off	cross- off	cross- off	off	off	cross- off	cross- off	cross- off	off
High Tide / height (m)				10:09AM 1.83				10:36PM 1.75				11:16AM 1.88				11:39PM 1.81					12:14PM 1.95
Low Tide / height (m)		3:46AM 0.31				4:26PM 0.38				4:50AM 0.27				5:27PM 0.34				5:48AM 0.22					6:23PM 0.28

	Monday 18							Tuesday 19								Wednesday 20								Thu 21
Sunrise	-	-	7:37	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	7:35	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	7:35	-	-	-	-	-
Sunset	-	-	-	-	5:53	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	5:54	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	5:55	-	-	-

Rain (mm)	3	4	5	6	2	-	5	1	1	1	1	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Temp. °C	7	7	7	5	5	6	6	7	5	5	6	8	8	7	8	8	8	9	9	10	11	9	9	9
Feels °C (?)	4	4	4	1	2	2	-1	-1	-3	-3	-1	2	3	2	4	4	4	5	6	6	7	5	5	5

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

Recent Eyeball Surf Reports for Catlins

Wind Update Wind reports 29 km away suggest it is still onshore at Papatowai (moderate winds from the ENE at Nugget Point Automatic Weather Station). 2.1m 14s groundswell from the SW with a 0.6m 4s local chop from the SE. 2 swells combining to make bigger set waves.
1 hour 29 minutes ago Papatowai

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29 km away, 1 h 29 min ago

26 km/h

ENE

0.0

11.4

Air / Water (°C)

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