Surf Forecasts:
Taylors Mistake surf forecast from 3 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 6 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 13s period, SE swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 4 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 12s period, SSE swell with 308 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 5 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 11s period with SE 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 05) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 12s. 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 1.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-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 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Wed 5th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 3PM (Thu 6th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Tue 4th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Taylors Mistake over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Gonna be honest with ya, this outlook for the next couple of weeks is a real mixed bag of mostly small, average days. The real standout is tucked away right at the very end, so you’ll need some patience.
The first few days are a write-off. Monday the 3rd and Tuesday the 4th are flat with rubbish conditions. The water is sitting at 49°F right now, which is about average for this time of year so nothing weird there.
We start to see a little pulse of life on Wednesday the 5th. Morning sees a small 3ft SE swell creeping in, with a light offshore wind (WSW at 6 mph). The energy is moderate (199), but it’s a long period of 11 seconds, so there will be some shape. It’s not going to be pumping, just surfable. Thursday the 6th looks best for a session. The morning is glassy, with a 2ft SE swell and 10-second period. The energy is a touch higher at 237, and the glassy conditions with that light offshore wind will make it clean. It’s a good day for a beginner or someone wanting a quiet paddle. Friday the 7th afternoon goes glassy again with a tiny 1ft ESE swell, but it’s a long 13-second period, just not enough push.
The whole second week, from Monday the 10th through to Saturday the 15th, is mostly a bust. We get a bit of a bump mid-week, but it’s plagued by onshore winds, making it choppy and messy. The water temp stays in the normal range.
Now, the real reason to get excited is the weekend of the 16th and 17th. Sunday the 16th of August is the standout. We’ve got a 5ft ENE swell showing up with a solid 10-second period, and the morning is GLASSY. The energy is a strong 408. This is a proper clean swell at Taylors Mistake, with light offshore winds backing it up. This is the pick of the bunch. It’s a bit big for beginners at 5ft, but for the rest of us, this is what we’ve been waiting for. Monday the 17th keeps the good vibes with a 3ft ENE swell and clean offshore winds, making for a solid follow-up day.
The last few days of the outlook, Tuesday the 18th, fade back to small, clean waves in the 2-3ft range.
So, there you have it. A long wait for a proper Sunday session. Get it while it’s good.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Tue morning. Very mild (max 12°C on Mon afternoon, min 3°C on Tue morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SW on Mon night, calm by Thu morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 10°C on Sat morning, min 4°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSE 15 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 13 | ESE 10 | SSE 15 | ESE 13 | SE 14 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 84 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 209 | 216 | 191 | 117 | 108 | 164 | 73 | 43 | 67 | 50 | 27 | 25 | 34 | 34 | 14 | 13 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | glassy | on | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 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 | 1:00PM2.42m | 1:29AM2.29m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 6:42AM0.42m | 7:21PM0.45m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  | |  | | | | | |  |  | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — |
 | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — |
mm | — | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
Feels °C | 8 | 3 | -4 | -2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 3 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 10 | SE 9 | ESE 13 | SE 14 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | ESE 5 |
| kJ | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 209 | 216 | 191 | 117 | 108 | 80 | 73 | 22 | 67 | 50 | 27 | 25 | 34 | 34 | 14 | 5 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 4 | NE 13 | — | — | SE 16 | — | E 18 | ESE 16 | ESE 15 | ESE 13 | ESE 14 | ESE 12 | SSE 13 | ENE 5 | ESE 12 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | SE 13 | ESE 4 | SE 9 |
| kJ | 1 | 7 | — | — | 10 | — | 6 | 26 | 43 | 59 | 37 | 31 | 16 | 2 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 6 | 3 | 13 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 14 | — | — | — | E 12 | E 16 | NE 12 | E 11 | ESE 15 | SE 13 | SSE 18 | SSE 15 | ENE 3 | SSE 11 | NE 4 | — | NE 4 | E 12 | E 13 | E 12 |
| kJ | 4 | — | — | — | 3 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 86 | 164 | 31 | 43 | 1 | 13 | 1 | — | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 15 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | SSW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 84 | 339 | 426 | 374 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 4 | 89 | 305 | 181 | 181 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 31 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 31 | 4 | 0 | 22 |
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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