Surf Forecasts:
Taylors Mistake surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 31 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 17s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 31 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 17s period, SSE swell with 333 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 26 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 6s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Taylors Mistake this week:
The surf forecast for Taylors Mistake over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 5s. Another secondary swell of 0.3m and 17s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Taylors Mistake in the next 16 days are 0.8m 17s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 31) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 4.0m 14s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Mon 31st Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Mon 31st Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Taylors Mistake over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you: the outlook for Taylors Mistake over the next 16 days is a real test of patience. We’re looking at a long, quiet stretch with hardly any proper swell to get excited about. The water temp is sitting at 50°F which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The first week is basically a write-off. From Tuesday the 25th through to the end of the month, we’ve got tiny, weak waves. The combined energy is mostly in the double digits (15, 31, 48), rarely cracking 100, which tells you how flat it is. Winds are a mix of cross-off and cross-on, but honestly, with swell heights barely scraping 2 ft, it doesn’t matter much. There’s a glimmer on Saturday afternoon the 29th when it goes glassy and we see 2 ft from the ENE, but it’s still very ordinary—just surfable if you’re desperate.
Sunday the 30th is a total dud, with energy dropping to single digits (8 and 17). Then Monday the 31st finally offers something worth mentioning. The morning brings a 3 ft SSE groundswell with a solid 17-second period, and combined energy jumps to 337. Winds are light cross-off from the SW, keeping it clean. The afternoon gets even better: glassy conditions with a light NNE breeze, 2 ft, and energy at 270. It’s not big, but it’s the best we’ll see in the first week. That long period groundswell is best for the point and reef setups here, so keep that in mind.
Tuesday the 1st of September is a step back—clean but small, with energy dropping to 189 and 135. Wednesday the 2nd is a mess with 22 mph winds from the N and NNE, lots of chop, and a tiny 4 ft NNE windswell that’s short-period (5 seconds). Not worth paddling out.
The second week is even more grim. From Thursday the 3rd through to Wednesday the 9th, we’ve got nothing but poor surf. Swell heights are mostly 0.7 ft to 2 ft, with combined energy struggling to stay above 100. Winds are often strong, with gusts up to 25 mph from the SW on Saturday the 5th. There’s a brief moment on Wednesday morning the 9th with a 5 ft NE swell and energy of 232, but it’s cross-on from the NE at 9 mph, so it’ll be choppy and messy. Short period (8 seconds) too, so not much power.
Honestly, if you’re looking for a standout, Monday the 31st of August is your best bet—morning and afternoon both offer clean, glassy conditions with a touch of good-natured groundswell. It’s not a classic, but it’s as good as it gets. Otherwise, the rest of the 16 days is a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue morning, min 6°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, strong winds from the NE by Thu afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri afternoon, min 5°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 14 | E 14 | SSE 17 | E 14 | ESE 13 | SSE 17 | SSE 17 | SSE 16 | ENE 7 | NE 7 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | SSE 17 | SSE 17 | SSE 17 | SSE 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 15 | 15 | 30 | 15 | 34 | 101 | 113 | 98 | 113 | 268 | 100 | 103 | 38 | 56 | 11 | 11 | 5 | 164 | 329 | 267 | 84 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross |
High Tide | 2:27PM2.16m | 2:47AM2.06m | 3:12PM2.17m | 3:31AM2.08m | 3:54PM2.19m | 4:13AM2.11m | 4:35PM2.22m | 4:55AM2.13m | 5:15PM2.25m | 5:40AM2.16m | 5:58PM2.26m | 6:27AM2.20m | 6:45PM2.26m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:39PM0.73m | 8:50AM0.66m | 9:23PM0.67m | 9:39AM0.60m | 10:07PM0.61m | 10:24AM0.54m | 10:51PM0.55m | 11:06AM0.50m | 11:34PM0.51m | 11:48AM0.47m | 00:17AM0.49m | 12:32PM0.47m | 1:01AM0.48m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  | | |  | | |  | | | | |  |  | | | | |
 | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — |
 | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | 4 | 9 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 13 | 15 | 10 |
Feels °C | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 14 | E 14 | SSE 17 | E 14 | NE 4 | SE 5 | SSE 17 | SSE 16 | SE 12 | SE 11 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ESE 13 | NE 4 | NE 7 | ENE 7 | SSE 17 | SSE 17 | SSE 17 | SSE 16 |
| kJ | 15 | 15 | 30 | 14 | 4 | 6 | 113 | 98 | 37 | 20 | 100 | 103 | 38 | 17 | 4 | 11 | 5 | 164 | 329 | 267 | 84 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | S 18 | E 14 | S 17 | — | SSE 17 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | SSW 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | ESE 13 | SE 10 | ENE 8 | S 14 | S 16 | ENE 7 | ENE 9 | NE 8 | SSE 10 |
| kJ | 5 | 25 | 15 | 23 | — | 101 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 152 | 12 | 11 | 17 | 4 | 11 | 4 | 20 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 37 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | S 9 | NE 5 | E 11 | ESE 13 | E 13 | — | — | — | SE 15 | SE 14 | ESE 14 | SSE 10 | S 15 | SE 12 | SE 12 | E 12 | — | — | — | NE 5 |
| kJ | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 34 | 13 | — | — | — | 9 | 8 | 18 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 3 | — | — | — | 4 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 4 | NNW 4 | N 4 | N 4 | SE 3 | — | E 3 | NE 5 | ENE 7 | NE 7 | N 4 | — | — | ENE 8 | — | NW 2 | WNW 3 | — | — | NNW 3 | S 9 |
| kJ | 18 | 24 | 9 | 15 | 10 | — | 5 | 51 | 113 | 268 | 17 | — | — | 56 | — | 1 | 10 | — | — | 7 | 950 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 31 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 89 | 0 | 32 | 246 | 63 | 63 | 44 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 44 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Canterbury | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Taylors Mistake Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Taylors Mistake provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Taylors Mistake can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Taylors Mistake 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 (Taylors Mistake) 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 Taylors Mistake 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 Taylors Mistake, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Canterbury, consider staying in Christchurch which is 10 km (6 miles) away.
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