Surf Forecasts:
Scarborough surf forecast from 11 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 13 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 8s period, NE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 13 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 8s period, NE swell with 767 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 13 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 8s period with NE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Scarborough this week:
The surf forecast for Scarborough over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 13) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.2m and 14s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Scarborough in the next 16 days are 2.4m 8s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 13) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 7s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12PM (Thu 13th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Thu 13th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 8ft (2.4m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Scarborough over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Scarborough over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you: the next few days are a bit of a write-off. We’ve got a long dry spell ahead. From now, the forecast is pretty quiet until we get to the 17th of August. That’s a solid gap of nearly a week with nothing worth paddling out for. The waiting game is on.
The only real glimmer of hope in this whole outlook lands on Monday the 17th of August. The morning session is the standout. We’re looking at a solid 7ft swell rolling in from the SE, with a period of 8 seconds. The energy is strong, clocking in at (835). The wind is light out of the WSW, coming cross-off the shore, which should keep things clean. This is the one to circle on the calendar. For a beach break setup, this is about as good as it gets in this window. The swell direction is ENE, and the waves will be working with that optimum direction. The surf is going to be good, but at 7ft, it’s pushing into expert territory. If you’re a beginner, give this one a miss.
The water temperature is sitting at 49°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Before that, on Friday the 14th of August, there’s a small window. The morning has a light offshore SW wind, but the swell is tiny at 2ft from the E. The energy is weak (62). The afternoon goes glassy, with no wind at all, but the swell is still only 2ft (108). It’s surfable, but don’t expect much. The waves are ordinary.
After the 17th, the swell drops off quickly. The rest of the week into the end of August is a mix of tiny, weak swells and poor conditions. The 19th of August has a glassy morning with a 1.0ft SSE groundswell at a very long 16 seconds, but the energy is low (96). It’s clean, but you’ll be waiting for set waves that barely show up. The 26th of August morning has another glassy window with a 2ft SE swell at 10 seconds, energy at 106, but it’s still just ordinary.
So, to sum it up: the only true standout is Monday the 17th of August. Get on it if you can handle the size. The rest of the forecast is a slow, flat grind. The swell energy is generally weak, the periods are short, and the winds are often onshore or cross-onshore, making for choppy, poor surf.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu morning, min 8°C on Tue morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NE on Tue night, calm by Thu morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri afternoon, min 5°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | 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) | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ENE 5 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ESE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 70 | 42 | 72 | 171 | 249 | 244 | 489 | 294 | 96 | 70 | 52 | 54 | 37 | 39 | 33 | 22 | 16 | 32 | 62 | 58 | 45 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | off | off | glassy | cross-on | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:51PM2.51m | 3:21AM2.39m | 3:46PM2.53m | 4:13AM2.40m | 4:40PM2.52m | 5:06AM2.39m | 5:33PM2.48m | 6:01AM2.37m | 6:26PM2.43m | 6:59AM2.34m | 7:20PM2.37m | 7:55AM2.33m | 8:16PM2.30m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:09PM0.29m | 9:31AM0.23m | 10:03PM0.26m | 10:27AM0.18m | 10:59PM0.26m | 11:21AM0.17m | 11:53PM0.27m | 12:13PM0.22m | 00:46AM0.30m | 1:05PM0.31m | 1:36AM0.36m | 1:58PM0.43m | 2:26AM0.44m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | | | | | | | |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | |
 | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — |
 | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
Feels °C | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | ESE 8 | SE 11 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | E 14 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 8 | SE 6 | ESE 6 | ESE 8 | E 9 | E 9 | E 9 |
| kJ | 70 | 42 | 5 | 38 | 4 | 4 | 167 | 142 | 96 | 70 | 52 | 54 | 37 | 39 | 33 | 19 | 13 | 32 | 62 | 58 | 45 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | SE 7 | S 16 | S 20 | SE 9 | E 14 | E 14 | E 13 | SE 13 | E 14 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | SE 6 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ESE 16 | ESE 15 | SSE 6 |
| kJ | 28 | 13 | 49 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 7 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 22 | 16 | 18 | 24 | 21 | 6 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 20 | NE 6 | SSE 10 | S 21 | S 15 | S 18 | ESE 14 | — | — | E 16 | ESE 14 | S 18 | S 18 | S 16 | E 13 | E 13 | E 7 | S 17 | S 16 | S 14 | ESE 14 |
| kJ | 7 | 1 | 42 | 9 | 4 | 25 | 19 | — | — | 5 | 40 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 14 | 13 | 4 | 23 | 5 | 4 | 20 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | ENE 5 | ENE 7 | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | — | SSW 3 | S 3 | — | — | S 3 | S 3 | — | S 14 | — | — | S 5 | S 6 |
| kJ | — | — | 72 | 171 | 249 | 244 | 489 | 294 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 4 | — | 16 | — | — | 21 | 101 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 21 | 33 | 33 | 62 | 151 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 180 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Canterbury | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Scarborough Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Scarborough provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Scarborough can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Scarborough 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 (Scarborough) 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 Scarborough 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.
Are you planning a holiday in Canterbury? If you are looking for accommodation near Scarborough, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Canterbury, consider staying in Christchurch which is 9 km (6 miles) away.
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