Taylors Mistake Surf Break

Lat Long: 43.58° S 172.78° E

Taylors Mistake Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 pm 08 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Taylors Mistake sea temperature is
9.3° C
0.2° 

Taylors Mistake surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Taylors Mistake surf forecast from 8 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 10 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 13s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Friday 14 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 8s period, ENE swell with 527 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 10 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 13s 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 Monday (Aug 10) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 9s. 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 2.0m 8s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 14) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 7s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 15) at 3AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6PM (Mon 10th Aug)1.5ft (0.4m) 13s
Best Surf 6PM (Mon 10th Aug)1.5ft (0.4m) 13s
Most Powerful 3AM (Fri 14th Aug)6.5ft (2.0m) 8s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Taylors Mistake over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, let’s get into it. To be honest with you, the next couple of weeks are looking pretty average for Taylors Mistake. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak surf ahead, and it’s going to take a while before anything gets interesting. The first week is especially quiet, with barely enough energy to get wet. We're looking at a lot of days with swell heights under 3 feet, and the winds are mostly onshore or cross-offshore, kicking up a bit of chop. Not the kind of conditions that get you out of bed early.

The water’s sitting at around 48.7°F, which is pretty much spot on average for this time of year, so you won’t need the thickest suit just yet, but you’ll still want a good hood and gloves for the long sits between sets.

We start off on Saturday the 8th, with a tiny 1ft SE swell and a light E breeze. It’s a bit of a tease, but there’s just nothing there to ride. The swell energy is weak, coming in at only 30. You're better off doing something else. Sunday the 9th doesn’t get any better, with a short-period 2.3ft NE swell but the ENE wind is cross-on, making things messy. The energy is still weak, around 77. It’s all pretty frustrating.

Monday the 10th is a bit of a false dawn. The swell drops to 0.7ft, but we get a clean WSW offshore breeze in the morning. The water’s glassy, but there’s just no wave to push you around. The energy is a paltry 34. After a few days of this, you can feel the cobwebs building up.

The middle of the week picks up a little, but it’s still nothing to write home about. Tuesday the 11th has a 2ft ESE swell, but the ENE wind is cross-on again, so it’s still lumpy. Wednesday the 12th sees the swell push up a bit to 4.3ft in the morning, and 4.9ft by the afternoon, ENE direction, with a period of 7-8 seconds. That’s the biggest we get for a while, and the energy builds to 171, then 260, but the onshore wind just ruins it. It’s a messy, short-period windswell, not the clean lines we’re after. This is probably the only time the swell gets over 5ft, so it’s not a beginner’s day, but with the wind, it’s not much fun for anyone.

Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th are more of the same, with a 3ft ENE swell, but the winds are all over the place. Friday morning actually cleans up a touch with a light SW cross-off, and we get a 3.3ft ENE swell, but the energy is still moderate at best, 126. It’s surfable, but just very ordinary.

The weekend of the 15th and 16th is a bit of a grind. Saturday the 15th has a 2.3ft to 2.6ft E swell, with a cross-off breeze and some light rain. The energy is still moderate, around 124. It’s clean, but the waves are just small and weak. Sunday the 16th is similar, with a 2ft E swell in the morning and a clean WNW breeze, but the energy drops back to 104. It’s a board-shortening day, not a wave-hunting day.

Now, after this first week, we hit a real lull. From Monday the 17th through to Wednesday the 19th, the swell just fades away. We’re looking at 0.7ft to 2ft of mostly SE swell, and the energy readings are weak, dipping as low as 7. There’s no push at all. The winds are mostly offshore or glassy, which is great for the soul, but there’s simply nothing to surf. It’s a proper flat spell.

Thursday the 20th is a bit of a puzzle. The swell is still small, 2ft in the morning, but the afternoon brings a 2.6ft SSE swell with a long 17-second period. The energy jumps up to 360, which is the strongest we’ve seen all window. But the wind is onshore, E at 6 mph, and the period is so long that it’s probably breaking too straight for the beach break. It’s a tease, but it’s not the day to get excited about.

The final stretch, from Friday the 21st through to Sunday the 23rd, is more of the same. We’ve got small, clean conditions, with glassy mornings and light cross-off breezes. The swell is in the 1ft to 1.6ft range, with periods between 10 and 15 seconds. The energy is mostly weak to moderate. It’s perfect weather for a paddle and a few closeouts, but if you’re looking for a proper wave, you’re out of luck.

Honestly, the best call here is to leave the board in the car for the next two weeks. There’s nothing that stands out as a proper session. The only day that even hints at potential is the

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Very mild (max 14°C on Sun afternoon, min 7°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 12°C on Wed afternoon, min 9°C on Tue afternoon). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NE on Tue night, light winds from the SW by Fri morning).

Sat
8
Sunday
9
Monday
10
Tuesday
11
Wednesday
12
Thursday
13
Friday
14
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.3
SE
10
0.3
SE
10
0.7
NE
7
0.8
NE
6
0.6
ENE
6
0.3
SE
9
0.3
ESE
12
0.4
SE
12
0.4
SE
12
0.6
ESE
8
1.4
ENE
6
1.3
ENE
7
1.5
ENE
8
1.2
ENE
8
0.9
ENE
8
0.9
ENE
8
1.1
ENE
8
1
ENE
8
0.9
ENE
9
0.9
E
9
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
15
15
49
43
26
14
30
37
42
39
128
167
256
159
105
107
167
122
126
133
Wind (km/h)
10
E
10
ESE
10
NE
15
N
10
WSW
10
WSW
20
SW
5
SSW
10
ENE
15
ENE
30
NE
20
NE
15
ENE
10
E
10
ENE
15
ENE
15
E
5
SW
20
SW
10
WSW
Wind State
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
on
on
on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
00:31AM2.25m
1:00PM2.42m
1:29AM2.29m
1:56PM2.47m
2:26AM2.34m
2:51PM2.51m
3:21AM2.39m
3:46PM2.53m
4:13AM2.40m
4:40PM2.52m
5:06AM2.39m
5:33PM2.48m
Low Tide
6:24PM0.53m
6:42AM0.42m
7:21PM0.45m
7:36AM0.36m
8:15PM0.36m
8:33AM0.29m
9:09PM0.29m
9:31AM0.23m
10:03PM0.26m
10:27AM0.18m
10:59PM0.26m
11:21AM0.17m
11:53PM0.27m
cloud
light rain
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:31
7:31
7:28
7:28
7:26
7:24
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:35
5:36
5:37
5:37
5:38
5:40
5:42
 mm
1
3
Temp °C
10
9
11
14
9
10
10
9
8
9
9
11
12
12
12
12
10
12
11
9
Feels °C
7
5
8
10
6
5
5
7
5
5
2
7
8
9
9
9
7
8
7
6
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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