Te Araroa Surf Break

Lat Long: 37.63° S 178.38° E

Te Araroa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 am 11 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Te Araroa sea temperature is
14.5°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 11 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 13s period, NE swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 17 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 6s period, WNW swell with 202 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 12 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 13s period with NE 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 12) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s. 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 1.7m 6s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 17) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 12PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6AM (Sat 12th Sep)1.5ft (0.4m) 13s
Best Surf 6AM (Sat 12th Sep)1.5ft (0.4m) 13s
Most Powerful12AM (Thu 17th Sep)5.5ft (1.7m) 6s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, let’s talk waves, or lack of them. The next 16 days are looking lean for Te Araroa. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, weak surf and messy winds. Honestly, there’s nothing here that’s gonna get you too excited. The energy levels are mostly weak, and we’re looking at a long, flat spell with only a couple of brief flashes of something rideable. There's a massive gap with no real surf on offer from now all the way through the 21st. You’re gonna want to find something else to do for the next week and a half.

For the early part, it’s all small and poor. On Friday the 11th, we’ve got 1ft of northeast swell, but with winds all over the place. The water temp is sitting around 58°F and that’s about average for this time of year, so no surprises on the thermometer. Saturday the 12th has some clean morning conditions with a light offshore, but the swell is still anemic at 1ft and the energy is weak. Sunday sees that swell shrink even more, and the energy just drops out. It’s really not worth paddling out for any of this.

The whole stretch through to the 21st is just a write-off. We’re looking at waves under 3ft, if that, with a lot of poor conditions, cross-shore winds, and just nothing doing. There’s a brief window on the 15th where a 5ft WNW swell rolls in, but it’s short-period, just 5 seconds, and the energy is only moderate, plus it’s cross-onshore. Not worth the effort. The 17th has a little 3ft bump but again, chopped up. This whole week plus is a bust.

Now, I’m gonna tell you about the one thing that actually caught my eye. We’re looking at Tuesday the 22nd, morning. This is the standout of the whole period, and honestly, it’s the only thing with any real promise. There’s a 5ft swell coming from the northwest with a strong energy reading, the strongest we see in this whole forecast. It’s still a short-period swell at 8 seconds, but with glassy conditions, that could set up some fun, clean waves at this beach and point break. The winds are light, which is a massive plus. It’s not a giant day, but compared to everything else, it’s the one to watch. Keep your fingers crossed the forecast holds; it's a while away, so don’t book the day off work just yet.

Beyond that, it’s back to the flatness and poor conditions through the 26th. There are some clean mornings here and there, but the swell is just gone. It’s the kind of long, blank run that can happen in this area, but given Te Araroa is usually consistent, I wouldn’t expect this to last forever. Keep an eye on the charts, because things can change.

This is Rusty, signing off. Keep the faith.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun morning, min 9°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Wed morning, min 11°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Friday
11
Saturday
12
Sunday
13
Monday
14
Tuesday
15
Wednesday
16
Thursday
17
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
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
NE
13
0.4
NE
14
0.5
NE
9
0.4
NE
13
0.4
NE
13
0.4
NE
13
0.4
NE
13
0.4
NE
12
0.3
NE
12
0.3
NE
12
0.3
NE
12
0.7
NNW
4
0.8
NW
5
1.5
WNW
5
0.3
NE
12
0.3
NE
12
0.3
NE
12
1.7
WNW
6
1
NNW
6
1
NW
6
0.7
NW
6
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
62
65
39
61
61
60
41
39
23
23
21
16
25
133
25
23
23
202
77
74
37
Wind (km/h)
15
SSE
5
E
20
W
15
SSW
20
SSE
15
NNW
20
W
20
SSE
10
S
10
N
10
NW
10
W
0
NW
10
NW
15
WNW
20
WNW
30
WNW
25
WNW
20
NW
20
NW
10
NW
Wind State
cross-off
cross
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
on
cross-on
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross
High Tide
6:41PM2.15m
7:07AM2.04m
7:28PM2.12m
7:56AM2.07m
8:15PM2.08m
8:41AM2.07m
9:01PM2.04m
9:26AM2.05m
9:46PM2.01m
10:10AM2.01m
10:28PM1.97m
10:55AM1.96m
11:09PM1.92m
Low Tide
12:26PM0.41m
1:06AM0.39m
1:20PM0.39m
1:55AM0.34m
2:11PM0.38m
2:41AM0.32m
2:58PM0.40m
3:24AM0.34m
3:42PM0.43m
4:07AM0.38m
4:24PM0.49m
4:48AM0.44m
5:07PM0.57m
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
rain showers
light rain
cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:13
6:11
6:09
6:09
6:07
6:05
6:03
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:52
5:53
5:54
5:54
5:55
5:57
5:58
 mm
1
2
Temp °C
14
14
13
14
13
12
15
15
11
13
13
12
14
14
11
16
16
13
15
15
13
Feels °C
10
13
9
10
8
8
13
10
7
10
11
10
13
12
8
10
10
9
12
11
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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