
Surf Forecasts:
Te Araroa surf forecast from 8 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 10 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 8s period, NW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 10 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s period, NW swell with 1,441 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 10 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 8s 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 Monday (Aug 10) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m 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 3.0m 8s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 10) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.2m 8s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 15) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Mon 10th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Mon 10th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Mon 10th Aug) | 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 get into it.
Alright, so we’ve got a bit of a mixed bag on the cards for Te Araroa over the next couple of weeks. After a pretty ordinary start, the weekend of the 10th and 11th is shaping up to be the real highlight, with some proper size and clean conditions. The water temp is sitting around 59°, which is pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year, so nothing wild there.
The first real session to look out for is Saturday morning, August 8th. Te Araroa is a beach and point set-up, and it’s picking up a clean 3 ft swell from the southeast, with a period of 12 seconds. That’s a nice groundswell, and with a light 6 mph cross-off breeze from the west-southwest, it’s going to be glassy. The combined energy is a moderate 216, so there’s some push. This is a consistent spot, and for a beginner-friendly break, this is a solid, clean option. The swell direction coming from the southeast isn’t the optimum northeast, but the conditions make up for it.
Saturday afternoon drops off a bit to 2 ft, and the wind stays light, but it’s not as good.
Sunday morning the 9th is a write-off — 12 mph cross-on wind from the northwest and a short, weak 3 ft swell with a period of only 4 seconds. That’s choppy and messy. The afternoon gets worse with 19 mph winds and a lumpy 5 ft swell. Stay out of the water.
Now, here’s the standout. Monday, August 10th. The morning is pumping with a solid 8 ft groundswell from the northwest, with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is a strong 852, so there’s plenty of power. A 9 mph cross-off breeze from the west is keeping it clean. Now, over 8 ft is expert-only territory, and this is just shy of that, so it’s a good one for experienced surfers. The point break at Te Araroa will handle this size well, keep it lined up. Monday afternoon is still solid at 7 ft with the same clean conditions.
Tuesday the 11th offers a smaller, fun morning with 4 ft from the north-northwest, a 6 mph cross-off breeze from the south, and clean conditions. The energy is moderate at 206. It’s a good option for a less hectic session.
After that, things get pretty average. From Wednesday the 12th through to the middle of the following week, we’re looking at a real flat spell. The wind goes onshore or cross-on, and the swell drops out. There’s a long stretch of days with poor or marginal surf, with heights under 3 ft and weak, short-period energy. The 15th of August has another pulse of 8 ft from the northwest in the morning, with a clean cross-off breeze, but it’s a single session and the energy is high at 995, so it’s a powerful one for the experts.
The last week of the outlook is a proper blank run. From the 16th through to the 23rd, it’s almost all tiny, gutless swell, mostly under 2 ft, with long periods but no height. The wind is offshore or cross-off, but there’s nothing to ride. It’s a tough stretch for this area.
So, to wrap it up: Monday, August 10th is your best bet—big, clean, and powerful. Tuesday morning the 11th is a close second for a more manageable, fun wave. The rest is a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 24mm), heaviest during Sun night. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon morning, min 8°C on Sat morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the W on Sat afternoon, fresh winds from the NW by Sun night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 32mm), heaviest during Thu night. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu afternoon, min 10°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SE 12 | SE 12 | NNW 12 | NW 4 | NW 6 | NNW 8 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | N 7 | N 8 | N 7 | SE 10 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 6 | NNE 7 | NW 6 | NNW 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
216 | 132 | 14 | 22 | 165 | 998 | 846 | 608 | 242 | 134 | 89 | 62 | 80 | 109 | 215 | 244 | 137 | 115 | 317 | 259 | 355 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on |
High Tide | 1:53PM1.98m | 2:15AM2.00m | 3:01PM2.01m | 3:21AM2.02m | 4:13PM2.08m | 4:27AM2.04m | 5:19PM2.18m | 5:30AM2.06m | 6:14PM2.27m | 6:28AM2.08m | 7:05PM2.30m | 7:24AM2.10m | 7:53PM2.28m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:20PM0.64m | 8:46AM0.53m | 9:25PM0.65m | 9:51AM0.50m | 10:30PM0.63m | 10:54AM0.45m | 11:32PM0.59m | 11:51AM0.39m | 00:32AM0.53m | 12:44PM0.36m | 1:27AM0.45m | 1:38PM0.35m | 2:19AM0.39m | ||||||||
6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | |
— | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 3 | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 14 | 18 | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 11 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 13 |
Feels °C | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 12 | SE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SE 11 | SSE 11 | NW 9 | SE 10 | NW 8 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | N 7 | N 8 | N 7 | SE 10 | SE 9 | N 7 | SE 8 | NNE 7 | NE 7 | ESE 8 |
216 | 132 | 163 | 151 | 117 | 76 | 846 | 50 | 242 | 134 | 89 | 62 | 80 | 109 | 188 | 135 | 114 | 66 | 317 | 71 | 133 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 17 | SSE 12 | SSE 16 | SSE 15 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | SSE 11 | SE 14 | SSE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | NNE 10 | ESE 13 | SE 8 | E 6 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | NE 7 |
159 | 107 | 47 | 44 | 68 | 18 | 75 | 8 | 38 | 47 | 80 | 105 | 68 | 168 | 10 | 18 | 100 | 30 | 44 | 69 | 84 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | SSE 16 | NNW 12 | E 12 | E 12 | NE 12 | NE 12 | NE 12 | SE 13 | SE 12 | SSE 12 | NW 13 | SSE 8 | NW 12 | NW 12 | NW 12 | E 6 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | ESE 14 |
42 | 100 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 44 | 72 | 91 | 7 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 29 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 18 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 4 | W 5 | WNW 4 | NW 4 | NW 6 | NNW 8 | — | NW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 6 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 6 | — | NW 6 | NNW 7 |
14 | 45 | 12 | 22 | 165 | 998 | — | 608 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 215 | 244 | 137 | 115 | — | 259 | 355 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 6 | 18 | 75 | 56 | 18 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 196 | 47 | 18 | 9 | 8 | 18 |
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.











