Te Araroa Surf Break

Lat Long: 37.63° S 178.38° E

Te Araroa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 04 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Te Araroa sea temperature is
14.6°C
0.1° 

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


Te Araroa surf forecast from 4 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 8 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 9s period, NNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 8 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 9s period, NNW swell with 1,093 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 5 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 6s period with WNW 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 Saturday (Sep 05) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 10s. 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 2.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 7s period and expected on Friday (Sep 04) at 9PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6PM (Sat 5th Sep)5ft (1.5m) 6s
Best Surf 6PM (Tue 8th Sep)7ft (2.1m) 9s
Most Powerful 3AM (Tue 8th Sep)8ft (2.5m) 9s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Te Araroa over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Te Araroa over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the next week and a half is looking pretty grim. A real flat spell is on the cards. We’ve got a solid gap from now until around Tuesday, the 8th of September, where there’s just nothing worth paddling out for. The wind is messy, the swell is junk, and it’s just one of those periods where you’re better off cleaning the wax off your boards.

Things start to twitch a little on Tuesday the 8th. The morning is still a bit lumpy with a cross-shore wind, but into the afternoon, the wind swings around to a cross-offshore breeze from the west at 9 mph. That cleans things right up, and we get a 7ft swell from the NNW with a 9-second period. The combined energy is moderate at 766, and it’s the first time we see a score worth mentioning. It’s “marginal,” but it’s the best we’ve seen in a while.

Wednesday the 9th keeps the hope alive. A clean cross-offshore wind from the SSE at 9 mph, and a 5ft NW swell with an 8-second period. The energy is 241, and it’s the first time we get a “good surf conditions” comment. It’s not huge, but it’s rideable and clean.

Then we hit another patch of small, weak, and mostly wind-affected waves from the 10th to the 14th. It’s a long stretch of nothing special.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. On Tuesday the 15th of September, we get a proper offshore wind from the south, gusting to 22 mph. The swell is 5ft from the NW at 8 seconds, and the energy is 303. It’s offshore and clean, but it’s still rated as “poor surf conditions” – the wind is strong, making it a bit of a battle.

The real standout, the one you’ve been waiting for, is the following weekend. Friday the 18th of September morning, the wind is cross-offshore from the west at 16 mph, and we’ve got a 10ft swell from the NNW with an 8-second period. The combined energy is a massive 1133, and it’s clean. This is expert territory – over 8ft – so it’s for the big dogs only. The afternoon gets messy with a strong cross-shore and the swell jumping to 13ft and energy of 2547, making it a washing machine.

But the absolute best window of the whole outlook is Saturday the 19th of September. Morning brings a cross-offshore breeze from the WSW at 9 mph, with a 12ft NW swell (9-second period) and energy of 2467. It’s clean. The afternoon is even better: glassy conditions, with the wind dropping to nothing from the WSW at 3 mph, and a 13ft NW swell at 10 seconds. The energy is astronomical at 3385. The guide says the swell is predicted to be too big for this break, but for a confident, experienced surfer, this is a session you’ll remember. The direction is from the NW, matching the guide’s optimum swell direction for Te Araroa. This is a short window of pure, raw power and perfect conditions. Don’t miss it.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Some drizzle, heaviest during Fri night. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri morning, min 9°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Fri afternoon, light winds from the WNW by Sat morning).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Heavy rain (total 23mm), heaviest during Mon night. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon morning, min 11°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NNW on Mon night, calm by Wed night).

Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
AM
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
1
2
3
2
1
0
0
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)
1.6
WNW
6
2.2
NW
6
1.3
NNW
7
0.2
ENE
10
0.2
ENE
10
0.2
ENE
10
0.2
ENE
10
1.4
WNW
5
1.7
WNW
6
1.6
NW
6
2.4
NW
6
2.5
NNW
8
2.3
NNW
8
2.2
NNW
9
2.2
NW
8
1.4
NW
8
0.9
NW
7
0.7
NW
7
0.3
NE
13
0.3
NE
14
0.5
NE
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
171
408
169
11
10
9
9
109
176
190
461
963
739
749
602
223
91
45
28
29
45
Wind (km/h)
25
WNW
30
WNW
20
W
10
W
10
WNW
25
WNW
20
W
25
WNW
25
NW
25
NNW
30
NW
30
NNW
25
WNW
15
W
10
SW
15
SSE
10
SE
10
NW
20
WNW
25
WNW
15
WSW
Wind State
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-off
High Tide
11:39AM1.98m
00:05AM1.98m
12:38PM1.96m
00:59AM1.97m
1:41PM1.96m
1:59AM1.96m
2:50PM1.99m
3:05AM1.94m
3:58PM2.05m
4:12AM1.93m
4:58PM2.11m
5:15AM1.95m
5:52PM2.15m
Low Tide
6:02PM0.53m
6:28AM0.44m
7:01PM0.58m
7:25AM0.48m
8:05PM0.61m
8:28AM0.49m
9:11PM0.62m
9:32AM0.48m
10:14PM0.58m
10:34AM0.45m
11:16PM0.53m
11:31AM0.43m
00:13AM0.45m
clear
part cloud
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
rain showers
rain showers
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:24
6:22
6:20
6:18
6:18
6:16
6:15
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:46
5:47
5:49
5:50
5:50
5:51
5:52
 mm
1
2
4
17
Temp °C
16
15
15
15
15
12
15
15
15
17
17
15
16
15
12
12
13
12
15
15
12
Feels °C
11
9
11
12
12
8
9
10
12
13
12
8
11
12
10
10
11
12
10
10
10
  • 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 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.

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