
Surf Forecasts:
Te Araroa surf forecast from 6 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 8 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 8s period, NNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s period, NW swell with 1,080 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 8s period with NNW 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 (Sep 08) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.2m and 8s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Te Araroa in the next 16 days are 3.0m 8s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 9s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 7ft (2.2m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 7ft (2.2m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Te Araroa over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s chew the fat on what’s cookin’ for our local stretch of coast.
Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a rough start. Monday the 7th is a no-go – westerly cross-onshore winds up to 22 mph and a lumpy 8ft swell with short period (7-8 seconds) just ain’t worth paddling out for. The combined energy is a moderate 747, but it’s messy.
The real window opens up on Tuesday the 8th. That morning, we’re looking at a clean 6ft NNW swell with a southwesterly cross-offshore breeze at 9 mph. The energy drops to 559 (moderate), but the conditions are clean. By the afternoon, it gets even better: the wind swings southerly and goes offshore at just 3 mph, with the swell easing to 6ft from the NNW. The wave comment says “expect good surf conditions,” and the energy is a moderate 421. This is your best bet for the whole forecast – a solid, clean day with a classic groundswell feel.
Wednesday the 9th is a drop-off. The swell crashes to 3ft in the morning and 2ft in the afternoon, with the period dropping to 7 seconds. The morning is cross-offshore and clean, but the afternoon goes glassy with only 61 energy. It’s surfable, but meh. Not a standout.
From Thursday the 10th right through to the 14th, it’s a desert. The swell is tiny (0.3ft to 1ft mostly), the wind is often cross or cross-onshore, and the energy values are in the teens and twenties. A few offshore windows crop up, like Friday the 11th morning with a 22 mph offshore wind, but the swell is only 4ft and the period is 6 seconds – not enough oomph to make it worth the hassle. The 14th sees a very small 1.0ft NE swell with a long 12-second period, but it’s cross-onshore. No good surf for nearly a week.
Then, on the 16th (Wednesday), there’s a flicker of hope. The afternoon shows a 6ft WNW swell with a 6-second period and a cross-offshore wind. The energy jumps to 236 (moderate), and the wave comment says “marginal surf forecast.” The short period means it’s gonna be a bit weak and lumpy, but it’s the only thing close to rideable in that second week.
The rest of the outlook from the 17th through the 22nd is a bust. Tiny swells, mostly sub-3ft, with occasional offshore winds but no real energy to push the waves. The 18th Friday morning has a 19 mph offshore wind, but the swell is a pathetic 0.7ft. The 20th Sunday has a 17-second period from the SE, but only 0.3ft of swell – a ghost. The 22nd Tuesday afternoon has a 4ft WNW swell with a 5-second period, but the energy is only 68.
The Standout: Tuesday the 8th, hands down. Morning session for the cross-offshore breeze and 6ft swell, or afternoon for the offshore wind and 6ft. That’s the only day the stars align for a proper session.
Te Araroa is a beach and point setup, so it handles a bit of everything. The water temp on the 7th morning is 58°F, which is about average for the time of year – no surprises there.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon morning, min 9°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Mon morning, calm by Wed afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat morning, min 7°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NW 7 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | SE 8 | SE 7 | WNW 5 | NW 6 | NW 6 | NE 14 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 13 | NE 13 | NE 13 | WNW 5 | NE 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
740 | 931 | 699 | 549 | 409 | 171 | 84 | 37 | 67 | 42 | 98 | 114 | 92 | 65 | 33 | 19 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 74 | 23 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 2:50PM1.99m | 3:05AM1.94m | 3:58PM2.05m | 4:12AM1.93m | 4:58PM2.11m | 5:15AM1.95m | 5:52PM2.15m | 6:13AM1.99m | 6:41PM2.15m | 7:07AM2.04m | 7:28PM2.12m | 7:56AM2.07m | 8:15PM2.08m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:11PM0.62m | 9:32AM0.48m | 10:14PM0.58m | 10:34AM0.45m | 11:16PM0.53m | 11:31AM0.43m | 00:13AM0.45m | 12:26PM0.41m | 1:06AM0.39m | 1:20PM0.39m | 1:55AM0.34m | 2:11PM0.38m | 2:41AM0.32m | ||||||||
6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | |
— | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | |
mm | 2 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 15 | 13 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 10 |
Feels °C | 11 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 9 | E 9 | NNW 8 | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | SSE 8 | NNW 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | SE 7 | NW 6 | NW 6 | SSE 8 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | SSE 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 8 |
7 | 2 | 699 | 549 | 409 | 207 | 84 | 151 | 67 | 42 | 27 | 27 | 92 | 52 | 206 | 55 | 51 | 28 | 206 | 130 | 38 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 16 | S 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | NW 8 | NE 8 | NNW 7 | NE 7 | NE 7 | NE 8 | NE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | NW 6 | SSE 7 | NE 13 | NE 13 | SSE 19 | SSE 16 | SSE 11 |
— | 5 | 6 | 237 | 257 | 171 | 11 | 37 | 34 | 17 | 24 | 31 | 28 | 31 | 33 | 59 | 27 | 27 | 72 | 50 | 25 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 11 | NE 16 | NE 16 | NE 17 | NNE 7 | ENE 14 | NE 8 | NW 7 | NE 14 | NE 14 | NNE 13 | NE 13 | NE 14 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | NE 13 | NE 13 | NE 12 |
— | 2 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 28 | 21 | 24 | 8 | 29 | 31 | 17 | 62 | 65 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 6 | 26 | 25 | 23 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 7 | NW 8 | SW 3 | S 9 | S 9 | S 8 | SSE 8 | — | NNE 4 | NW 4 | WNW 5 | NW 6 | — | SSE 4 | S 8 | — | SSE 6 | SSE 7 | NW 6 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 |
740 | 931 | 2 | 803 | 1197 | 500 | 158 | — | 9 | 34 | 98 | 114 | — | 20 | 699 | — | 26 | 125 | 26 | 74 | 205 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 75 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 9 |
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.










