
Surf Forecasts:
Te Araroa surf forecast from 20 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 27 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 13s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 27 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 13s period, ESE swell with 1,599 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 11s period with SE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Te Araroa this week:
The surf forecast for Te Araroa over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 11s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Te Araroa in the next 16 days are 2.1m 13s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 27) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 8s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Mon 27th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Mon 27th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Te Araroa over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, listen up, crew. This is Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Te Araroa. Gotta be straight with you – the next week or so is a real test of patience. The surf is small, the wind is messy, and it’s mostly a write-off. But hang tight, because there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.
The first few days are a struggle. From Monday the 20th through to the end of the month, we’re looking at tiny, weak waves. The swell energy is in the gutter, barely cracking 100 (179) on Monday, and then just dropping. We’re talking knee-high slop, if that. The wind is all over the place – cross-off, cross-on, glassy – but the swell just isn’t there to back it up. The water is a touch warm at 61°, about average for the time of year, but that doesn’t make the surf any better. This is a real dry spell, nearly two weeks of nothing worth paddling out for.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The real story starts on Monday the 27th of July. The wind goes light, the swell jumps up, and suddenly we’ve got a proper groundswell on the cards. The standout is Te Araroa, a beach and point break that’s consistent and exposed to the swell. The morning of the 27th, it’s a clean 5 ft from the ESE with a long 13-second period, and the energy is cranking at 930 – that’s solid, moderate stuff. The wind is light, cross-off, so it’ll be clean. Then the afternoon gets even better: 7 ft, same direction, and the energy jumps to an impressive 1640. That’s strong, powerful stuff. The wind is offshore, the waves have shape, and it’s going to be firing. This is the pick of the entire forecast. The 13-second period is a proper groundswell, so expect some nice lines, especially holding shape at the point.
The swell settles a little into Tuesday the 28th, but it’s still pumping. The morning is a clean 6 ft (938 energy), and the afternoon is a very clean 5 ft (803 energy), both with the same ESE groundswell. The wind stays light and offshore, so the quality will be there.
We do get a bit of a weird one on Tuesday the 4th of August. A massive 12 ft swell from the NW shows up, but the period is a short, choppy 8 seconds. The wave energy is enormous (1907 and 2392), but it’s too big and too raw for most of us. The forecast even says it’s too big for the break. This one is for the big-wave chargers only, or maybe look at it for a kite session. It’s a beast, but not a friendly one.
So, to wrap it up: the first week and a half is a total bust. The only real surfing window is from Monday the 27th through to the end of the month. The morning of the 27th is the absolute standout – clean, solid, and with that long-period goodness. Get on it.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Wed afternoon, min 9°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 20mm), heaviest during Fri night. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun morning, min 8°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNW on Thu afternoon, fresh winds from the WNW by Sat night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | ||||||||||||||
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) | ESE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | ESE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | ESE 10 | SE 10 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | E 7 | NW 5 | E 8 | E 10 | E 11 | ESE 16 | SE 14 | E 13 | ESE 13 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
177 | 130 | 126 | 82 | 168 | 55 | 42 | 25 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 68 | 33 | 73 | 125 | 169 | 214 | 209 | 461 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 11:36PM2.11m | 12:02PM2.00m | 00:24AM2.05m | 12:54PM1.94m | 1:10AM1.99m | 1:46PM1.90m | 1:56AM1.93m | 2:39PM1.88m | 2:45AM1.88m | 3:36PM1.88m | 3:38AM1.85m | 4:34PM1.90m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:23PM0.51m | 5:59AM0.46m | 6:12PM0.57m | 6:47AM0.51m | 7:03PM0.64m | 7:35AM0.57m | 7:58PM0.71m | 8:26AM0.62m | 8:54PM0.76m | 9:20AM0.66m | 9:50PM0.79m | 10:15AM0.67m | 10:42PM0.79m | |||||||
— | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | |
5:08 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:13 | — | — | 5:14 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | 1 | — | 1 | 3 | — | 5 |
Temp °C | 12 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 10 |
Feels °C | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 4 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 | ESE 11 | SE 11 | SSE 12 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 11 | E 5 | ENE 6 | E 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 10 | E 11 | E 11 | SE 14 | WNW 8 | ESE 13 |
177 | 130 | 126 | 82 | 168 | 96 | 44 | 26 | 31 | 12 | 11 | 28 | 50 | 33 | 73 | 125 | 112 | 214 | 392 | 461 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 20 | SSE 20 | SSE 19 | SSE 16 | N 9 | SE 11 | ESE 10 | SE 10 | E 5 | SE 11 | SE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 11 | ENE 9 | ESE 13 | SE 18 | ESE 16 | E 12 | E 13 | NW 8 |
76 | 304 | 140 | 51 | 2 | 55 | 42 | 25 | 7 | 30 | 29 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 17 | 78 | 169 | 137 | 209 | 151 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 10 | N 10 | N 10 | SSE 20 | N 10 | NW 9 | NW 8 | E 4 | SSE 8 | SSE 7 | NNE 3 | SSE 10 | S 10 | ESE 11 | ENE 9 | SSE 8 | S 10 | SSE 7 | SE 14 | NNW 8 |
2 | 2 | 2 | 37 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 8 | 13 | 68 | 18 | 197 | 43 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | SSE 4 | SSE 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 3 | WNW 4 | NW 5 | WNW 7 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | S 7 | SSE 8 |
54 | 46 | 23 | 58 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 11 | 68 | 810 | 1178 | 688 | 498 | 683 | 358 | 206 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 56 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 18 | 18 | 121 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 91 | 67 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 67 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in East Cape | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Te Araroa Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Te Araroa provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Te Araroa can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Te Araroa 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 (Te Araroa) 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 Te Araroa 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 East Cape? If you are looking for accommodation near Te Araroa, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in East Cape, consider staying in Gisborne which is 119 km (74 miles) away.










