Surf Forecasts:
Red Island surf forecast from 9 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 16 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 18s period, ESE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 17 Jul, 6AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 16s period, SE swell with 2,320 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 12 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 9s period with ESE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Red Island this week:
The surf forecast for Red Island over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 12) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Red Island in the next 16 days are 2.2m 16s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 17) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Sun 12th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Thu 16th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Fri 17th Jul) | 7ft (2.2m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Red Island over the next 16 days.
Right, let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Red Island. It’s a beach and reef set-up, so it’s got a bit of variety, but it’s inconsistent and can be a bit of a tease. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing to write home about.
We’ve got a bit of a wait on our hands. The first few days are a write-off. Friday the 10th and Saturday the 11th are a mess – strong cross-onshore winds and lumpy, choppy surf. The swell is there, but it’s not surfable. Sunday the 12th morning is the first real chance, with a clean 4ft swell from the ESE and a light cross-offshore breeze. It’s a small, beginner-friendly day, but the energy is weak (370). Monday the 13th morning is clean too, but even smaller at 3ft, and the energy is low (192). Tuesday the 14th drops right off with tiny waves.
Then we get a bit of a lull until Thursday the 16th afternoon. That’s when a long-period groundswell rolls in – 3ft from the ESE but with a period of 16 seconds, which is very long. The energy is moderate (356) and the conditions are clean. That long period will make for some nice, lined-up waves on the reef, but it’ll be a bit slow between sets.
The standout is Friday the 17th. This is the one. The morning kicks off with a glassy 7ft swell from the SE, period of 16 seconds, and the energy is pumping (2476). This is proper groundswell for experienced surfers. The afternoon holds up with 6ft and glassy conditions. This is the best on offer by a long shot. If you’re an intermediate or advanced surfer, you need to be on it.
After that, it gets messy again. Saturday the 18th through Tuesday the 22nd are blown out by strong cross-shore winds. On Wednesday the 22nd, the swell jumps up to 13ft from the ESE, but it’s a big, messy, cross-shore day. That’s more of a kite-surfing show than a paddle session. Thursday the 23rd morning cleans up nicely with a 7ft swell and a light cross-offshore breeze, offering a solid, clean wave. Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th are still rideable with 7ft and 6ft swells, but the winds are a bit mixed.
So, the takeaway: the absolute highlight is the 17th of July. Get out there for the glassy, long-period groundswell. The rest of the window is either blown out or too small, with a few cleaner but smaller windows on the 23rd and 25th.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Very mild (max 11°C on Thu night, min 8°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the S on Thu night, calm by Sun morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue afternoon, min 6°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thu 16 | |||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | S 9 | ESE 9 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 4957 | 2074 | 1293 | 978 | 703 | 587 | 333 | 237 | 203 | 161 | 116 | 84 | 26 | 47 | 61 | 57 | 41 | 40 | 54 | 82 | 280 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | off | off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 00:40AM1.42m | 1:13PM1.45m | 1:36AM1.45m | 2:10PM1.52m | 2:35AM1.47m | 3:08PM1.58m | 3:34AM1.50m | 4:07PM1.64m | 4:33AM1.53m | 5:05PM1.69m | 5:32AM1.55m | 6:03PM1.71m | 6:29AM1.56m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:59AM0.16m | 7:28PM0.19m | 7:52AM0.13m | 8:26PM0.16m | 8:48AM0.09m | 9:26PM0.12m | 9:46AM0.05m | 10:26PM0.08m | 10:45AM0.02m | 11:26PM0.04m | 11:44AM-0.01m | 00:26AM0.01m | 12:43PM-0.02m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | |  | |
 | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — |
 | — | — | 5:01 | — | — | 5:02 | — | — | 5:02 | — | — | 5:04 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:06 |
mm | 8 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 13 |
Feels °C | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 19 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | SE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | ENE 6 | ENE 7 | ENE 6 | ESE 11 | E 6 | ESE 12 | ESE 16 |
| kJ | 29 | 2074 | 1293 | 978 | 703 | 587 | 333 | 237 | 203 | 161 | 116 | 84 | 25 | 47 | 61 | 57 | 13 | 40 | 17 | 82 | 280 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 17 | SSW 13 | SSW 11 | SSW 10 | S 18 | S 6 | S 7 | S 13 | S 11 | S 10 | S 9 | S 9 | ENE 6 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 11 | ENE 6 | ESE 13 | ENE 6 | ENE 5 |
| kJ | — | 53 | 53 | 40 | 33 | 103 | 30 | 33 | 117 | 116 | 70 | 43 | 26 | 12 | 30 | 18 | 41 | 12 | 54 | 10 | 5 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | S 16 | S 20 | S 14 | S 16 | S 14 | S 6 | SW 16 | S 18 | S 15 | ESE 10 | S 12 | S 9 | ESE 12 | ENE 8 | S 8 | ESE 10 | ESE 15 | SE 21 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 20 | 31 | 16 | 129 | 100 | 13 | 65 | 6 | 18 | 19 | 25 | 6 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 19 | 44 | 69 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | S 8 | S 8 | SSW 7 | — | S 6 | — | — | — | — | NNE 3 | NE 3 | NE 5 | NE 5 | NE 6 | — | — | — | — | SW 3 | SSW 4 |
| kJ | 4957 | 349 | 291 | 125 | — | 97 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 18 | 27 | 148 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 261 | 162 | 162 | 3 | 3 | 42 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 57 | 56 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Hawkes Bay | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Red Island Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Red Island provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Red Island can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Red Island 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 (Red Island) 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 Red Island 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.
Red Island is 27 km (17 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.
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