Surf Forecasts:
Scarborough surf forecast from 2 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 2 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 12s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 4 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 12s period, SSE swell with 318 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 2 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 12s period with SE 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 Sunday (Aug 02) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 3s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 3s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Scarborough in the next 16 days are 1.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 13s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Sun 2nd Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Tue 4th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 12s |
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.
To be straight with you, the outlook is a bit of a flat patch. We’ve got a long stretch of pretty ordinary, small surf ahead. The first few days are all about waves under 3 ft, mostly from the SE, and the energy is weak. The water temp is sitting around 49°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.
The first real chance to get wet is Sunday morning, the 2nd of August. Early doors, we’ve got a clean 3 ft SE swell with a 13-second period. The wind is a light cross-off from the W at 6 mph, and combined swell energy is a moderate 210. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. The afternoon goes onshore, so that’s that.
The following week is a proper grind. From Monday the 3rd right through to Thursday the 13th, there’s a chunk of days with tiny, weak waves. Most mornings offer a clean window, but the swell is just too small – often 1 ft to 2 ft. The energy is in the doldrums, with readings like 6 and 39. It’s a real struggle.
We do see a bit of a pulse arriving around Friday the 14th of August. The swell picks up to 4 ft from the ENE with a short period of 7 seconds. This is combined with a moderate energy reading of 130-140. The wind is forecast to be glassy or very light, which is a major positive. This will be the best on offer for the whole period, but it’s not a standout by any stretch. The short period means the waves won’t have much shape, and it’s a bit of a novelty after the flat spell. The ENE direction is not the optimum for Scarborough, which prefers ENE, so it’s a bit of a compromise.
Saturday the 15th of August morning holds some clean 3 ft ENE swell as well, but the energy drops off by the afternoon. After that, it’s back to tiny, poor conditions for the rest of the run.
So, to call it: the standout is the glassy mornings on Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th of August. The swell is bumping up to 4 ft, which is the biggest we’ll see, and the wind conditions are perfect for clean faces. It’s not a world-class day, but it’s the only real window of opportunity in the 16-day outlook. For most of the time, you’ll be looking at a lake.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Tue morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Mon afternoon, min 4°C on Tue morning). Winds increasing (calm on Sun morning, strong winds from the SW by Mon night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Mild temperatures (max 7°C on Wed afternoon, min 4°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | |||||||||||||||
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 13 | SE 13 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SSE 12 | E 13 | E 13 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 12 | SSE 16 | SE 13 | ESE 13 | SE 10 | SE 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 205 | 134 | 92 | 34 | 22 | 78 | 3 | 3 | 224 | 162 | 162 | 120 | 71 | 98 | 65 | 98 | 196 | 42 | 16 | 25 | 15 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | on | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 7:12PM2.19m | 7:45AM2.10m | 8:00PM2.19m | 8:31AM2.14m | 8:52PM2.18m | 9:19AM2.19m | 9:46PM2.19m | 10:10AM2.24m | 10:40PM2.20m | 11:05AM2.30m | 11:35PM2.22m | 12:02PM2.36m | 00:31AM2.25m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:59PM0.50m | 1:31AM0.52m | 1:42PM0.51m | 2:15AM0.53m | 2:30PM0.54m | 3:03AM0.54m | 3:22PM0.58m | 3:56AM0.55m | 4:21PM0.60m | 4:52AM0.53m | 5:22PM0.59m | 5:48AM0.48m | 6:24PM0.53m | ||||||||
 | |  | |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | |
 | 7:41 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — |
 | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 7 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 10 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 8 |
Feels °C | 7 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 3 | -4 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SSE 12 | SE 4 | E 13 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 12 | SE 12 | SE 13 | SE 8 | SE 10 | SE 10 |
| kJ | 205 | 134 | 92 | 34 | 21 | 78 | 3 | 3 | 224 | 162 | 162 | 120 | 71 | 98 | 65 | 98 | 71 | 42 | 11 | 25 | 15 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 16 | E 16 | NNE 3 | NE 6 | SSE 15 | ESE 12 | E 13 | — | E 12 | NE 12 | E 18 | ESE 16 | ESE 11 | ESE 16 | SE 13 | SSE 16 | SSE 16 | NE 3 | ENE 4 | ESE 12 | SE 19 |
| kJ | 5 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 22 | 15 | 3 | — | 3 | 6 | 6 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 44 | 53 | 25 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 14 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 19 | NE 16 | S 20 | S 13 | N 3 | E 13 | — | — | — | E 16 | E 12 | E 12 | ESE 15 | S 13 | SE 18 | S 9 | SSE 16 | S 12 | ESE 13 | NE 4 | SE 12 |
| kJ | 7 | 10 | 8 | 13 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | 5 | 3 | 3 | 44 | 3 | 13 | 59 | 196 | 3 | 16 | 1 | 6 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 3 | — | NNW 3 | NW 2 | WNW 3 | SSW 2 | S 13 | S 13 | SW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 4 | — | — | ENE 3 |
| kJ | 2 | — | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 350 | 389 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 2 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 31 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 180 | 180 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 7 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
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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