
Surf Forecasts:
Te Araroa surf forecast from 2 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 9 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 8s period, NW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 9 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 8s period, NW swell with 639 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 6 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 1ft (0.3m), 16s period with SE 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 Thursday (Aug 06) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.3m and 16s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Te Araroa in the next 16 days are 2.2m 8s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 09) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.5m 12s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 1ft (0.3m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Sun 9th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Sun 9th Aug) | 7ft (2.2m) 8s |
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 Te Araroa has in store for us over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a slow start, but there’s a couple of moments that’ll get the heart pumping.
First up, the water temp is sitting around 60°, which is just about normal for this time of year – nothing to write home about, but you won’t need a wetsuit quite as thick as mid-winter.
The first few days are a real write-off. We’re looking at Monday through Wednesday with nothing but tiny, weak swell and poor conditions. The odd bit of clean ocean but no power in the water. You’ll be starring at flatness. Thursday morning sees a flicker of life with a 1.0 ft swell from the SE, clean offshore winds, but it’s weak – combined energy of only 42 – so don’t get too excited. Friday picks up a touch: the morning has a 2 ft SE swell with clean conditions, and by the afternoon that swell builds to 4 ft from the SE, energy jumping to 481. It’s still only marginal, but you might find a fun little wave if you’re keen.
Then we hit the first real standout. Sunday, August 9th. The morning is glassy – dead calm, offshore breeze from the SSE. Swell is a solid 7 ft out of the NW with a period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy is a punchy 567. That’s a proper amount of juice. The wind is glass, the waves are clean, and Te Araroa is a beach and point setup, so the NW swell should wrap in nicely. It’s a consistent break, and the crowds are never an issue here. The optimum swell direction is from the NE, but the NW is still going to work well. This is the best session on offer in the first week. Only catch: 7 ft is a bit much for beginners – it’s more for the intermediate to experienced crew.
After that, the week goes sour again. Monday through Wednesday of the following week is a mess of strong winds and rain, with onshore chop. Not worth the paddle. Thursday and Friday are also poor, with strong cross-onshore winds and a messy ocean.
Now, for the second week, we’ve got a major event brewing. Saturday, August 15th and Sunday, August 16th are bringing massive swell. Saturday morning has a 12 ft swell from the NW with a combined energy of 1735 – that’s very strong. The wind is light and cross-shore, but the swell is too big for this break. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it’s going to be a beast. The point might offer some shelter, but it’s a serious paddle. The afternoon drops to 10 ft, still massive. Sunday is similar: 10 ft to 12 ft NW swell, clean offshore winds, but again, too big for a comfortable session. The energy numbers are huge (1284 to 1615). This is more of a spectacle than a surf session for most of us.
By Monday, August 17th, the swell drops back to a much more manageable 4 ft from the NW, with light offshore winds and clean conditions. That’s a nice, easy day to get back in the water. After that, Tuesday drops right off again into tiny, weak swell.
So, the pick of the 16 days? Sunday, August 9th (morning) is the one. Glassy, 7 ft NW swell, clean and powerful. If you can handle the size, it’s your best bet. The massive stuff on the 15th and 16th is for the brave or the crazy, but not for a fun day out.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Mon afternoon, min 5°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 13°C on Sat morning, min 7°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WNW 4 | NE 13 | ENE 12 | NE 12 | NE 12 | E 16 | E 19 | N 14 | NE 11 | SE 16 | N 14 | SE 10 | SE 13 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 12 | NW 5 | NW 7 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
32 | 28 | 14 | 23 | 23 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 38 | 4 | 370 | 171 | 463 | 229 | 220 | 91 | 524 | 560 | 579 | 167 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | glassy | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:35AM1.93m | 10:07PM2.02m | 10:19AM1.93m | 10:49PM2.00m | 11:06AM1.93m | 11:34PM1.98m | 11:58AM1.95m | 00:22AM1.98m | 12:53PM1.96m | 1:16AM1.99m | 1:53PM1.98m | 2:15AM2.00m | 3:01PM2.01m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:56PM0.42m | 4:31AM0.40m | 4:39PM0.46m | 5:14AM0.39m | 5:26PM0.52m | 5:59AM0.41m | 6:18PM0.57m | 6:49AM0.46m | 7:16PM0.62m | 7:44AM0.50m | 8:20PM0.64m | 8:46AM0.53m | 9:25PM0.65m | ||||||||
7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | |
— | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 11 |
Feels °C | 7 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 1 | -1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 11 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | NE 12 | NE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SSE 10 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 12 | SSE 12 | SE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | NW 7 |
186 | 128 | 95 | 135 | 55 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 661 | 430 | 457 | 370 | 256 | 463 | 229 | 220 | 184 | 130 | 78 | 73 | 167 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 13 | NE 13 | ENE 12 | SSE 11 | NE 12 | NE 12 | E 19 | W 5 | SSE 16 | SE 16 | NE 10 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SSE 19 | SSE 17 | SSE 14 | NNW 12 | NE 13 | SSE 15 | SSE 15 | SSE 10 |
28 | 28 | 14 | 66 | 23 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 26 | 38 | 4 | 88 | 171 | 140 | 325 | 70 | 15 | 7 | 21 | 42 | 69 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 7 | NE 9 | NE 14 | NE 12 | E 16 | E 16 | E 15 | N 14 | NE 11 | NE 11 | N 14 | NE 16 | N 13 | NNW 14 | NNW 13 | NNW 13 | NE 13 | S 15 | NE 13 | SSE 18 | SSE 14 |
2 | 3 | 7 | 23 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 13 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 31 | 41 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 4 | W 6 | W 6 | S 12 | SSE 7 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | — | S 10 | S 11 | — | — | WNW 4 | W 4 | W 5 | NW 5 | NW 7 | NW 8 | NW 8 | — |
32 | 163 | 139 | 596 | 458 | 813 | 1306 | 1150 | — | 1359 | 1432 | — | — | 30 | 21 | 42 | 91 | 524 | 560 | 579 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 18 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 47 | 6 | 227 | 39 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 9 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 73 | 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.











