Surf Forecasts:
Wainui Beach - Stockroute surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 11s period, S swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 11s period, S swell with 6,459 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 11s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Wainui Beach - Stockroute this week:
The surf forecast for Wainui Beach - Stockroute over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 2.3m and 11s. Another secondary swell of 1.6m and 9s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-shore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Wainui Beach - Stockroute in the next 16 days are 5.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 2s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 3PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 16ft (5.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wainui Beach - Stockroute over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it for Wainui Beach – Stockroute. The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag, to be honest. There’s a decent pulse of energy early on, but it’s messy and blown out, then we go through a real flat spell before things start to look up again in the final stretch. Hang in there, because the back half of the window has some serious potential.
We kick things off on Tuesday the 18th with a solid but raw 10ft of south swell. The energy is pumping, with a combined energy reading of 2034, but that stiff 19 mph cross-offshore wind is making it a battle. The water’s sitting at 55°, which is about a degree and a half colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want the thick rubber on. It’s pushing the limits of what’s manageable – this is expert-only territory at this size. The afternoon goes downhill fast with a stronger cross-shore breeze and poor quality.
Wednesday the 19th sees the swell kick up even more, hitting 12ft. There’s a ton of power in the water – the combined energy jumps to a massive 5115 in the afternoon – but it’s just too big and unruly for this break. The winds are howling cross-shore and it’s going to be a complete washing machine. This is definitely not a day for the fainthearted or anyone without an expert skill set.
Thursday the 20th drops a bit to around 7ft, but the period has fallen to a short 8 seconds, which means it’s going to be crumbly and disorganised. The morning has a cleaner feel with a cross-offshore breeze, but it’s marginal at best. By the afternoon, the cross-shore wind chops it up again. It’s surfable, but you’ll be scratching for the fun ones.
Friday the 21st is where the drop-off really starts. The swell fades to under 3ft, but the period stretches out to a very long 16 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy, even if it’s small. The morning with a light 6 mph cross-offshore wind and clean conditions is the only window worth a paddle. It’s small, but the lines will be clean.
Then we hit the flat spell. From Saturday the 22nd, the swell just dies on its arse. We’re talking 3ft and dropping. By Sunday the 23rd, it’s barely a ripple, with combined energy readings down in the 50s – that’s weak, weak energy. The next several days are a write-off, nothing doing at all. This dry stretch runs right through to about Thursday the 27th. It’s a proper lull.
Things start to stir again on Friday the 28th with a new pulse of southeast swell, around 5ft. The period is a short 9 seconds, but the morning has that light offshore breeze and clean conditions. It’s a good chance to get wet after the drought, but the energy is still moderate, registering 482.
The weekend of the 29th and 30th sees it fade back down again, with the period dropping out. Sunday the 30th gets messy with a fresh southerly wind and lumpy cross-chop. Not great.
But listen, the real standout of this entire forecast is sitting out there on Tuesday the 1st of September. The swell pulses back up to a clean 3ft, and the period is a gorgeous 15 seconds – a proper long-period groundswell. The combined energy is reading a healthy 534, and we’ve got light winds and a clean, glassy surface on the morning. This is the one to circle on the calendar. It’s still over a week away, so treat it as a promising call rather than a guarantee, but all the ingredients are there for a proper session at Wainui. That south-southeast direction is right in the sweet spot for the break. It’s a standout.
Following that, Wednesday the 2nd of September has a little more size at 4ft with even longer period, but it’s a bit more on the cross-off, still clean. It’s a good follow-up, but that Tuesday morning is the pick of the bunch.
So, keep the rusty board waxed and take the small clean windows when they come. That Tuesday the 1st look is the one to get excited about, just don’t forget the hood and gloves – it’s cold out there.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Tue night. Very mild (max 12°C on Thu morning, min 7°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SW on Tue night, light winds from the W by Thu night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat afternoon, min 9°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | |||||||||||||||
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) | S 9 | SSE 10 | S 11 | SSE 11 | S 11 | SSE 15 | SE 9 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 16 | SSE 16 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 12 | SSE 9 | SSE 13 | SSE 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1342 | 1283 | 6459 | 2779 | 3021 | 811 | 637 | 612 | 190 | 371 | 513 | 189 | 164 | 115 | 79 | 42 | 33 | 15 | 65 | 127 | 222 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off |
High Tide | 10:02AM2.01m | 10:22PM2.02m | 10:47AM1.96m | 11:06PM1.95m | 11:32AM1.90m | 11:48PM1.87m | 12:17PM1.84m | 00:30AM1.79m | 1:01PM1.78m | 1:14AM1.71m | 1:46PM1.73m | 2:05AM1.65m | 2:36PM1.70m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:11PM0.52m | 4:39AM0.51m | 4:56PM0.58m | 5:24AM0.56m | 5:42PM0.65m | 6:09AM0.62m | 6:28PM0.72m | 6:53AM0.69m | 7:17PM0.77m | 7:38AM0.75m | 8:09PM0.81m | 8:27AM0.80m | 9:07PM0.83m | ||||||||
6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | |
— | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | 7 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 13 |
Feels °C | 1 | -1 | -1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 9 | E 11 | SSE 12 | SE 14 | SSE 11 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | ESE 11 | SSE 16 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | S 6 | SSE 9 | SSE 13 | SSE 15 |
651 | 9 | 2981 | 47 | 1348 | 580 | 502 | 299 | 190 | 183 | 513 | 189 | 164 | 115 | 79 | 42 | 25 | 7 | 65 | 127 | 222 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 14 | E 18 | — | — | ESE 9 | SSE 15 | SSE 14 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SSE 16 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | SSE 10 | SSE 15 | SSE 8 | ESE 12 |
41 | 6 | — | — | 389 | 811 | 189 | 116 | 124 | 371 | 135 | 81 | 33 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 33 | 10 | 44 | 41 | 15 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | SSE 16 | — | SE 11 | SSE 13 | SSE 17 | SSE 9 | — | SSE 16 | E 15 | ESE 14 | ESE 8 | — | — | ESE 12 | ESE 13 | SSE 15 | — |
— | — | — | — | 357 | — | 43 | 101 | 58 | 82 | — | 97 | 5 | 19 | 7 | — | — | 15 | 16 | 77 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | SSE 10 | S 11 | SSE 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 8 | S 8 | — | — | — | NNE 3 | WNW 3 | — | NW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
1342 | 1283 | 6459 | 2779 | 3021 | 786 | 637 | 612 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 116 | 336 | 123 | 119 | 119 | 13 | 51 | 119 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gisborne and Mahia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Wainui Beach - Stockroute Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Wainui Beach - Stockroute provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Wainui Beach - Stockroute can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Wainui Beach - Stockroute 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 (Wainui Beach - Stockroute) 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 Wainui Beach - Stockroute 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 Gisborne and Mahia? If you are looking for accommodation near Wainui Beach - Stockroute, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Gisborne and Mahia, consider staying in Gisborne which is 9 km (6 miles) away.











