South Beach (Wanganui) Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(Wanganui and the Manawatu, New Zealand)

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Spot Information

South Beach (Wanganui) Surf Guide

South Beach (Wanganui) in Wanganui-Manawatu is a fairly exposed beach break that has pretty consitent surf and can work at any time of the year. The best wind direction is from the east northeast. Tends to receive a mix of groundswells and windswells and the best swell direction is from the west. The beach break offers both left and right hand waves. Best around high tide. Rarely crowded here.

South Beach (Wanganui) Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Beach	4	fairly consistent	16.0°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing South Beach (Wanganui):

The best conditions reported for surf at South Beach (Wanganui) occur when a West swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the East-northeast.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

What's the best time of year to surf South Beach (Wanganui) (for consistent clean waves)?

augustBest Season: winter

The best time of year for surfing South Beach (Wanganui) with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winter and most often the month of August. Clean surfable waves are typically found 7% of the time in August while 46% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 47% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.

blown out

46%

Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).

too small

47%

Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore South Beach (Wanganui) Location Map

Interactive South Beach (Wanganui) surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The closest passenger airport to South Beach (Wanganui) is Wanganui Airport (WAG) in New Zealand, 1 km (1 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to South Beach (Wanganui) is Palmerston North Airport (PMR), also in New Zealand, 65 km (40 miles) away.

Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)

Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.

South Beach (Wanganui) Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Thursday, 7 May 2026, 17:14 Local Time

m, °C	Thursday 07			Fri
ft, °F	3PM	6PM	9PM	0AM
Wave (m)	SW	NW	NW	W
Period (s)	15	4	4	9
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	cross	cross	cross- off	cross- off

What does South Beach (Wanganui) look like?

Latest photos from South Beach (Wanganui). Upload your own or view all photos on the gallery page.

Credit: MO Credit: MO Credit: MO Credit: CBM64

Tides at South Beach (Wanganui)

Current tide and informaton

For Whanganui River Entrance, New Zealand, 3 km from South Beach (Wanganui).

Next High Water: 02:01am | 2.42m

Next Low Water: 07:51pm | 1.1m

NEXT	IS AT (local time)	remaining
high tide
low tide

South Beach (Wanganui) Sea Temperature

Sunny with pleasantly warm air temperatures (feels like 21.0 °C) at South Beach (Wanganui), yet the sea remains several degrees colder than the air. Most surfers will need a spring wetsuit though a summer suit or even a shorty may suffice for a short session.

Today, many surfers would wear a spring wetsuit.

Current Temp*: 16.0°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

View Sea Temp Map

Swell History at South Beach (Wanganui)

Surf stats for South Beach (Wanganui), see the swell variation by month or season on the history page here.

Average Swell

View Swell Statistics

Wind History at South Beach (Wanganui)

Wind stats for South Beach (Wanganui), see the variation in direction and stength by month or season on the history page here.

Average Wind

View Wind Statistics

South Beach (Wanganui) Reviews:

Interactive Porthcawl Point location map. View nearby buoy information, live wind conditions and surrounding roads, paths and locations to help find new breaks. Click the buoys or wind icon to view more information.

Ratings

Based on 7 votes.

Overall:4.0
Quality on a good day:3.8
Consistency of Surf:3.2
Difficulty Level:3.0
Wind and Kite Surfing:4.0
Crowds:3.8
...

See all 18 ratings

Review

Impartial reviews submitted by Surf-Forecast users.

Brent from New Zealand

“The go to surf spot in Whanganui. The surf can be dribble at Morgan street and south beach will be pumping. Surf breaks on the sewerage pipe so water and sea life can be dodgy”

Other Nearby Breaks Closest To:

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