
Surf Forecasts:
Taylors Mistake surf forecast from 24 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 27 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 13s period, ESE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 28 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 14s period, E swell with 489 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 25 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 17s period with ESE 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 Saturday (Jul 25) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Taylors Mistake in the next 16 days are 1.1m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 7s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Sat 25th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Mon 27th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Taylors Mistake over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Righto, mate. Rusty here with the look ahead for the next couple of weeks. The window kicks off with a few small waves building through the first week, but you’ll have to be patient because the first few days are a bit ordinary. The real standout looks to be around Tuesday the 28th of July and the days that follow, with some clean, waist-high glass.
First up, Taylors Mistake. Saturday the 25th is a write-off – onshore winds and rain showers spoiling tiny 1ft swell with poor surf. Not worth the wetsuit. Sunday the 26th sees a slight improvement with a light offshore wind from the west, pushing in some 2ft easterly swell at 15 seconds. The energy is moderate (211 combined), but it’s very average at best – just a small, ordinary wave. Monday the 27th is similar: 3ft at 13 seconds with light offshore in the morning turning to glassy conditions by the afternoon. Still, it’s only just surfable.
Now for the pick of the run – Tuesday the 28th. Morning brings a clean 4ft easterly swell, 13-second period, with absolutely no wind – glassy conditions. The combined energy jumps to 398 (moderate) and the surf is expected to be good. This is the best wave on offer, with a nice waist-high set and clean faces. The water temp is about 49°F, which is perfectly normal for this time of year – no surprises there. Afternoon turns onshore though, so get on it early.
Wednesday the 29th is another good one. The swell holds at 3ft from the east, 13 seconds, and it’s glassy once again both morning and afternoon. The energy is sitting around 369-354 (moderate). This is clean, consistent, and will be a fun session for all levels – a solid runner-up to Tuesday.
After that, the quality drops right off. Thursday the 30th sees strong northerly winds blowing across the lineup, dropping the swell back to 2-2ft. It gets messy, with a moderate cross-shore chop. Friday the 31st and Saturday the 1st of August are poor, with onshore winds and tiny waves – barely a ripple under 1ft. Sunday the 2nd of August is glassy but only 1ft, so you’ll be waiting a long time for a set. Monday the 3rd onward is more of the same – small, weak, and mostly blown out or cross-shore. The swell energy drops into the 30s and 40s by then, so it’s a real quiet patch.
To sum it up: the best windows are Tuesday 28th and Wednesday 29th July – get on the water early for glassy, waist-high easterly swell at Taylors Mistake. The rest of the run is small and ordinary, with a lot of flat days coming. Keep an eye on the forecast, but for now, those two mornings are your best bet.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 10°C on Mon afternoon, min 2°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu morning, min 7°C on Tue morning). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, fresh winds from the N by Thu afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 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) | ENE 7 | ESE 18 | E 16 | E 15 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | E 14 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | E 12 | E 12 | E 12 | E 12 | ENE 11 | ESE 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
20 | 61 | 132 | 157 | 148 | 176 | 222 | 215 | 345 | 398 | 482 | 432 | 342 | 336 | 199 | 146 | 103 | 66 | 41 | 140 | 61 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | glassy | glassy | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | glassy |
High Tide | 1:30PM2.22m | 1:51AM2.09m | 2:18PM2.22m | 2:39AM2.08m | 3:03PM2.21m | 3:23AM2.08m | 3:47PM2.20m | 4:05AM2.07m | 4:29PM2.19m | 4:46AM2.07m | 5:09PM2.19m | 5:29AM2.06m | 5:49PM2.20m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:52PM0.79m | 7:52AM0.75m | 8:36PM0.78m | 8:38AM0.74m | 9:18PM0.76m | 9:26AM0.70m | 10:00PM0.73m | 10:12AM0.65m | 10:43PM0.68m | 10:56AM0.59m | 11:27PM0.62m | 11:37AM0.54m | 00:09AM0.57m | ||||||||
7:50 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:47 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | |
— | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | |
mm | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 6 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 8 |
Feels °C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 7 | ENE 8 | E 16 | E 15 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | E 14 | E 14 | E 13 | E 13 | E 12 | E 12 | E 12 | E 12 | E 12 | ESE 15 | ESE 14 |
20 | 19 | 132 | 157 | 148 | 176 | 222 | 215 | 345 | 398 | 482 | 432 | 342 | 336 | 199 | 146 | 103 | 66 | 41 | 44 | 61 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 13 | ESE 18 | SE 6 | SE 6 | E 11 | SE 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 11 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | NE 5 | S 14 | NE 4 | S 14 | S 16 | NE 4 | ENE 6 | SE 5 | E 10 |
17 | 61 | 13 | 13 | 20 | 6 | 36 | 36 | 83 | 34 | 20 | 10 | 27 | 37 | 5 | 14 | 20 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 34 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 19 | SE 6 | ENE 12 | ENE 11 | SE 6 | — | SSW 13 | S 12 | — | — | — | S 16 | SSW 15 | — | NE 6 | S 17 | SSW 13 | NE 8 | SSE 11 | S 13 | NE 4 |
7 | 11 | 28 | 41 | 9 | — | 33 | 27 | — | — | — | 5 | 42 | — | 2 | 6 | 16 | 17 | 13 | 3 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 3 | SSW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 4 | — | NE 5 | NNE 7 | NNE 4 | NNE 4 | NW 3 | — | ENE 11 | — |
3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | — | 18 | 38 | 20 | 14 | 3 | — | 140 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 151 | 31 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
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.










