
Surf Forecasts:
Te Araroa surf forecast from 14 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 17 Jul, 12AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 16s period, ESE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 17 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 15s period, ESE swell with 1,567 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 15 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 5s period with NW 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 Wednesday (Jul 15) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 5s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 10s. Another secondary swell of 0.1m and 11s is also forecast. 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 1.8m 15s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 17) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 19) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12PM (Wed 15th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 5s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Fri 17th Jul) | 5ft (1.5m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Fri 17th Jul) | 6ft (1.8m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Te Araroa over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about what’s on the cards for Te Araroa.
Right off the bat, we’re looking at a pretty flat start to the 16-day window. There’s some small, messy stuff on Wednesday and Thursday, but honestly, it’s not worth paddling out for. The water’s a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, sitting at 61.3°, but that’s the only highlight for those first few days.
Now, fast forward to Friday the 17th of July—that’s where the magic happens. We’ve got a solid groundswell rolling in from the ESE at 5.6 ft to 5.9 ft, with a very long period of 16 to 15 seconds. The wave energy is strong, hitting 1479 (moderate energy) on the Friday morning. The wind is glassy in the morning, WSW at only 3.1 mph, so the surf is going to be clean and lined up. This is a setup that’s going to suit the point break nature of Te Araroa perfectly. The swell direction is NE, which is the optimum, so this is the standout window. Friday morning is the pick for experienced surfers—it’s a bit too big for beginners at over 5 ft. The afternoon sees a slight cross-on breeze, but still very good.
Saturday the 18th drops off a bit—4.6 ft from the SE, but the wind is a moderate cross-off from the W at 12.4 mph, keeping it clean. The energy is still decent. Bring a bigger board, it’s a bit weaker.
Sunday the 19th sees a shift—clean 3.9 ft from the ESE with a good offshore breeze from the S at 15.5 mph in the morning, but the swell is dropping. By Monday the 20th, we’re down to 3.0 ft, but it’s clean with a gentle offshore, so there’ll be rideable waves.
Tuesday the 21st is tiny—2.3 ft—but the afternoon goes glassy, so if you’re desperate for a log, you might find a few.
From Wednesday the 22nd right through to the end of the forecast, it’s mostly small and messy. There’s a little bump on the 26th and 27th—around 3.3 ft from the NNE/NE with clean conditions and a glassy window on the 26th afternoon—but it’s not going to get the heart racing.
Overall, the only real standout is Friday the 17th of July. Get on it.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu morning, min 9°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat afternoon, min 9°C on Sat morning). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | |||||||||||||||
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 6 | NW 5 | ESE 13 | ESE 14 | ESE 18 | ESE 16 | ESE 16 | ESE 15 | ESE 15 | SE 14 | SE 14 | SE 14 | ESE 13 | SE 13 | ESE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | ESE 11 | SE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
67 | 62 | 56 | 165 | 480 | 1150 | 1479 | 1567 | 1190 | 846 | 721 | 532 | 465 | 388 | 264 | 209 | 202 | 163 | 126 | 107 | 76 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off | glassy | cross |
High Tide | 7:26PM2.39m | 7:41AM2.21m | 8:16PM2.40m | 8:34AM2.20m | 9:06PM2.36m | 9:25AM2.17m | 9:57PM2.28m | 10:17AM2.12m | 10:47PM2.19m | 11:09AM2.06m | 11:36PM2.11m | 12:02PM2.00m | 00:24AM2.05m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:06PM0.36m | 1:46AM0.54m | 1:58PM0.34m | 2:40AM0.49m | 2:50PM0.35m | 3:31AM0.45m | 3:42PM0.39m | 4:22AM0.43m | 4:33PM0.45m | 5:11AM0.43m | 5:23PM0.51m | 5:59AM0.46m | 6:12PM0.57m | ||||||||
7:18 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | |
— | 5:06 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:07 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:09 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 10 |
Feels °C | 12 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 14 | ESE 18 | ESE 16 | ESE 16 | ESE 15 | ESE 15 | SE 14 | SE 14 | SE 14 | ESE 13 | SE 13 | ESE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | ESE 11 | SE 11 | ESE 11 | SE 8 |
66 | 36 | 33 | 165 | 480 | 1150 | 1479 | 1567 | 1190 | 846 | 721 | 532 | 465 | 388 | 264 | 209 | 202 | 163 | 126 | 107 | 50 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 11 | ESE 7 | ESE 13 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | S 11 | SSE 8 | S 8 | W 6 | SSE 22 | SSE 21 | SSE 16 | SSE 19 | SSE 19 | SSE 8 | SSE 14 | N 10 | ESE 11 |
5 | 5 | 56 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 17 | 13 | 57 | 38 | 33 | 69 | 280 | 175 | 27 | 74 | 71 | 21 | 18 | 2 | 76 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 8 | NE 11 | NE 10 | S 8 | S 18 | NE 10 | S 16 | SSE 6 | WNW 5 | — | S 19 | SSE 8 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | S 12 | N 8 | SSE 18 | N 10 | S 18 | N 13 |
1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 14 | 9 | — | 7 | 22 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 99 | 1 | 61 | 2 | 25 | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 6 | NW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | W 5 | S 7 | — | — | WNW 5 | W 6 | — | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 5 | SE 8 | — |
67 | 62 | 37 | 43 | 69 | 44 | 32 | — | — | 23 | 144 | — | 21 | 84 | 159 | 116 | 73 | 41 | 42 | 95 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 18 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 39 | 39 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
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.










