Surf Forecasts:
Point Annihilation surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 15s period, S swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 1 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 15s period, S swell with 6,638 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 25 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 12s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Point Annihilation this week:
The surf forecast for Point Annihilation over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 17s. Another secondary swell of 0.3m and 3s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Point Annihilation in the next 16 days are 4.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 29) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12PM (Tue 25th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Point Annihilation over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's break down the next couple of weeks at Point Annihilation. This is a reef and point setup, and we've got some solid windows of fun, plus a couple of absolute standouts for the crew who can handle it.
The outlook starts now, and we're right into it. The first few days have some small but clean waves, but the real quality starts to build as we head into the back half of the week and into the weekend. There's a bit of a lull after that first big pulse, but then things fire up again for the first week of September.
Tuesday, August 25th through Wednesday, August 26th is all about small, clean waves. Tuesday afternoon has clean 3ft S swell with a nice 12-second period and light offshore winds. Wednesday afternoon looks even better for shape, with 3ft S swell but a much longer 16-second period, coming in with clean offshore wind. The combined energy is moderate (546), but the quality will be there. A great time for a log or a mid-length.
Thursday, August 27th is where things get serious. The morning sees a jump to 6ft S swell, but it's a bit bumpy. The real standout is Thursday afternoon: 7ft of S swell at a solid 17-second period. That's a proper groundswell. The combined energy is strong at 2825. The wind goes clean and cross-off from the east. This is excellent, but at this size on a reef and point, it's for experienced surfers only. A serious session for the lads who know what they're doing.
Friday, the 28th, drops off a bit with 5ft in the morning and 4ft in the afternoon, both with clean wind, but the energy fades. Saturday and Sunday the 29th-30th see the swell drop right down to knee-to-waist high, but Sunday morning is dead glassy with 2ft S swell. It's small, but it's perfect. The water temp anomaly is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Monday, the 31st, is a write-off with poor conditions, and we roll into Tuesday, September 1st. This is the other major standout. Tuesday morning pumps in a 10ft S swell with a 14-second period. The combined energy is very strong at 3574. Winds are clean and cross-off from the NNE. This is for the experts only – a big, powerful, clean point. The afternoon drops to 8ft, still solid, but the wind picks up a bit.
After that, we hit a patch of messy, windy days through Thursday, September 3rd and Friday, the 4th. The swell is still 7ft to 8ft, but the wind is all wrong – onshore and cross-onshore. It's not for the paddle crew. A setup like this with that much wind and chop could look more interesting for kite surfing than a standard surf.
Things clean up again on Saturday, September 5th with a glassy morning, 5ft S swell and a 13-second period. A lovely, clean session for the weekend warriors.
From Sunday the 6th onwards, the swell fades fast. By Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th, we're down to ankle-snatchers, and the energy drops into the weak zone (20-68). A definite gap of small, flat days follows.
The very last entry on Wednesday, September 9th, shows a pulse of 5ft swell but with strong cross-shore wind and a short period. It's a poor outlook to close out the run.
So, in short: Thursday afternoon, August 27th for the big, long-period groundswell, and Tuesday morning, September 1st for the biggest, cleanest swell of the whole period. Both are for the experienced crew. The rest is a mix of fun small waves and some wind-affected days in between.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed afternoon, min 10°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat morning, min 11°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | ||||||||||||||
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) | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 15 | S 18 | S 16 | S 16 | S 17 | S 17 | S 15 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
851 | 439 | 294 | 218 | 390 | 520 | 391 | 1722 | 2813 | 1635 | 780 | 534 | 290 | 209 | 157 | 116 | 73 | 31 | 26 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | off | cross | cross | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-on |
High Tide | 2:58AM1.40m | 3:28PM1.49m | 3:46AM1.38m | 4:13PM1.49m | 4:33AM1.38m | 4:59PM1.50m | 5:22AM1.41m | 5:47PM1.53m | 6:11AM1.46m | 6:33PM1.57m | 6:58AM1.52m | 7:20PM1.62m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:11AM0.44m | 9:43PM0.43m | 10:00AM0.41m | 10:29PM0.39m | 10:48AM0.36m | 11:15PM0.34m | 11:32AM0.32m | 00:03AM0.30m | 12:17PM0.28m | 00:49AM0.26m | 1:02PM0.25m | 1:35AM0.24m | |||||||
— | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 12 |
Feels °C | 8 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | S 11 | S 18 | S 16 | S 16 | S 17 | S 17 | S 15 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 10 | SSW 7 |
851 | 439 | 294 | 143 | 390 | 520 | 391 | 1722 | 2813 | 1635 | 780 | 534 | 290 | 209 | 157 | 116 | 73 | 31 | 26 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 4 | SE 13 | S 18 | S 15 | SSW 10 | SE 13 | SE 12 | SSW 7 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | SE 15 | NE 5 | ESE 14 | SE 13 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | NE 6 | S 9 |
3 | 27 | 97 | 218 | 98 | 26 | 23 | 77 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 25 | 18 | 28 | 30 | 23 | 9 | 7 | 16 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 13 | NE 5 | SE 13 | SE 12 | SE 13 | NE 10 | E 10 | ESE 11 | — | E 16 | SE 15 | SE 15 | N 9 | SE 13 | S 16 | S 15 | SSW 14 | SW 5 | ENE 6 |
45 | 3 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 4 | 2 | 12 | — | 5 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 28 | 21 | 67 | 36 | 4 | 4 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 4 | WNW 3 | — | — | NW 3 | — | NW 3 | S 6 | — | NE 4 | NE 4 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 7 | SSW 3 | WNW 3 | — | NW 3 |
10 | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | 2 | 74 | — | 14 | 29 | 50 | 35 | 31 | 100 | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 64 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gisborne and Mahia | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Point Annihilation Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Point Annihilation provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Point Annihilation can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Point Annihilation 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 (Point Annihilation) 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 Point Annihilation 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.
Point Annihilation is 48 km (30 miles) from the city of Gisborne. If you plan a holiday in Gisborne and Mahia, look for hotels and other accommodation in Gisborne. Gisborne has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











