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Riversdale Surf Forecast
/ Wairarapa (36 surf breaks) /
Surf Forecasts:
Riversdale surfForecast / Wairarapa / New Zealand
16 Day Weather and Surf, issued 5 am Tuesday 12 May 2026 NZSTForecast update in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Riversdale surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.
Today's Riversdale sea temperature is
14.4° C
(Which is slightly cooler than normal)Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Riversdale this week:
The surf forecast for Riversdale over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (May 12) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Riversdale in the next 16 days are 3.5m 13s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (May 13) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Tuesday (May 12) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12PM (Tue 12th May) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Wed 13th May) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 9PM (Wed 13th May) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Riversdale over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 14°C on Tue morning, min 8°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 11°C on Fri morning, min 9°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 12 | Wednesday 13 | Thursday 14 | Friday 15 | Saturday 16 | Sunday 17 | Monday 18 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
S 12 | S 12 | SSW 15 | S 14 | S 13 | S 13 | SSW 12 | S 9 | S 9 | SSW 15 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 10 | |
884 | 748 | 2186 | 3597 | 3513 | 2668 | 2233 | 548 | 461 | 744 | 1321 | 875 | 628 | 493 | 357 | 257 | 146 | 143 | 99 | 96 | 106 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
off | off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | on | on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | |
High Tide | 12:55PM1.26m | 1:17AM1.36m | 1:45PM1.31m | 2:08AM1.39m | 2:37PM1.39m | 3:02AM1.42m | 3:31PM1.48m | 3:57AM1.46m | 4:27PM1.56m | 4:54AM1.49m | 5:23PM1.63m | 5:51AM1.51m | 6:19PM1.68m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:01PM0.26m | 7:34AM0.21m | 7:53PM0.21m | 8:23AM0.17m | 8:49PM0.17m | 9:15AM0.12m | 9:46PM0.11m | 10:09AM0.08m | 10:45PM0.06m | 11:05AM0.04m | 11:44PM0.02m | 12:01PM0.01m | 00:43AM-0.01m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | |  | | | | | |  | |
 | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — |
 | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:06 | — | — | 5:05 | — | — | 5:04 | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 |
12 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 9 | |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | S 12 | SSW 15 | E 10 | E 10 | S 13 | S 12 | SSW 12 | S 9 | SSW 15 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | S 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 10 |
 kJ | 884 | 748 | 2186 | 73 | 50 | 2668 | 1332 | 317 | 461 | 744 | 1321 | 875 | 628 | 493 | 357 | 257 | 146 | 143 | 99 | 96 | 106 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 10 | S 16 | ENE 10 | S 24 | SSW 22 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | SSE 8 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | E 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 10 | SSW 11 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 |
| kJ | 94 | 260 | 104 | 44 | 154 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 17 | 95 | 31 | 34 | 62 | 68 | 64 | 34 | 71 | 33 | 31 | 17 | 17 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 13 | ENE 10 | SE 18 | SE 16 | SE 15 | SSW 20 | SSE 14 | SE 13 | SSE 12 | ENE 9 | — | — | S 23 | S 22 | S 20 | SSW 18 | ENE 10 | SSW 16 | E 4 | S 11 | E 14 |
| kJ | 60 | 108 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 75 | 18 | 7 | 15 | 17 | — | — | 11 | 9 | 7 | 31 | 33 | 80 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WSW 3 | — | S 14 | S 13 | — | SSW 12 | S 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 4 | — | ENE 2 | ENE 3 |
| kJ | — | 9 | — | 3597 | 3513 | — | 2233 | 548 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | 1 | 2 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 91 | 26 | 26 | 185 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 82 | 64 | 0 | 64 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in The Wairarapa | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Riversdale surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
Information about the Riversdale Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Riversdale provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Riversdale can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Riversdale 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 (Riversdale) 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 Riversdale 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.
Riversdale is 38 km (24 miles) from Masterton. If you plan a holiday in The Wairarapa, look for hotels and other accommodation in Masterton. Masterton has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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