Te Araroa Surf Break

Lat Long: 37.63° S 178.38° E

Te Araroa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 pm 23 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Te Araroa sea temperature is
14.7°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 23 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 30 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 8s period, NNE swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 7s period, NW swell with 436 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 26 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 13s 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 Wednesday (Aug 26) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 13s period. 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 2.2m 7s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) 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 2.3m 7s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 9PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 9AM (Wed 26th Aug)1.5ft (0.4m) 13s
Best Surf12AM (Sun 30th Aug)3ft (0.9m) 8s
Most Powerful 3AM (Sat 29th Aug)7ft (2.2m) 7s

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


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here again. Let’s not sugarcoat it – the next couple of weeks at Te Araroa look dead. This beach and point break needs a solid NE groundswell to get going, and we just aren't seeing it. The water is 59°F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no drama there. But the surf? Barely a pulse.

From Sunday the 23rd through to Thursday the 27th, it’s tiny. We're looking at 1ft of weak ESE swell with a 13 second period, and the combined energy is stuck in the low 20s and 30s – that’s weak energy, plain and simple. There’s a glassy window on Monday morning the 24th and a totally calm Thursday afternoon the 27th with 1ft, but that's not surf, that's a lake. You’d be wasting your time.

Friday the 28th brings a shift in the wind – NW at 19-25 mph, switching to a cross-onshore. The size bumps up to 5ft on the Friday afternoon, but it’s a junky 5 second wind swell from the NW, all wrong for this place. The energy rises to 129, but it’s lumpy and chopped up. Saturday the 29th gets a bit bigger – 5ft with energy at 268 – but it’s still a messy NW wind swell with some rain. This isn’t paddle surfing; it’s survival. If you’ve got a kite, that might be more fun.

Then it goes flat again. Through the 30th and into the first week of September, we see 1ft to 2ft of NE swell with a 10 to 11 second period, but the energy is in the 20s and 40s. It’s all cross-shore wind and barely breaking. Day after day, same story: small, weak, and uninspiring. This flat spell drags on and on.

Now, the one glimmer on the horizon: around Saturday the 5th of September, we get a real pulse of NW swell. The size jumps to 8ft, with energy at 626, and then it really winds up – 10ft on Sunday the 6th with a huge 1360 energy reading. That’s strong wave energy, no doubt. But here’s the catch – the period is only 7 to 8 seconds, and it’s coming from the NW, which is cross to this break. The wind is also cross-shore at 12 to 16 mph. So while it’s big, it’s going to be a lumpy, closing-out mess. 10ft of short-period, cross-shore slop is strictly for experts, and even then, it’s marginal. A real shame, because if that energy had come from the NE with a longer period, we’d be talking about a classic. As it is, it’s a lot of water moving the wrong way.

It fades back to nothing by Monday the 7th – 1ft of ENE wind swell. So, bottom line: there’s nothing in the next two weeks I’d call a standout. The little NE pulses are too weak, and the one big NW event is too messy. It’s a blank run, for sure. But this spot is consistent, so it usually bounces back. Keep an eye on the charts, because when that NE groundswell finally lines up with the wind, Te Araroa will light up. Until then, I’m giving the board a rest.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Wed morning, min 9°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Sun afternoon, calm by Mon morning).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu morning, min 12°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu morning, fresh winds from the NW by Fri afternoon).

Sun
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.3
ESE
13
1.3
NNW
8
0.3
ESE
13
0.3
ESE
13
0.4
SE
13
0.4
SE
13
0.3
SE
13
0.3
SE
13
0.4
SE
13
0.4
SE
13
0.3
SE
12
0.3
SE
12
0.3
SE
12
0.4
NW
4
0.9
WNW
4
1.5
NW
5
2.1
NW
6
1.6
NW
7
1.3
NW
6
0.9
NNE
8
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
34
178
33
34
46
44
25
25
44
43
24
23
21
4
28
117
316
226
141
101
Wind (km/h)
40
NW
20
W
5
SW
10
N
15
WNW
25
W
15
W
20
W
10
W
10
NW
15
W
5
WSW
0
NE
15
WNW
25
NW
30
NW
30
NW
30
NNW
15
WNW
5
SSW
Wind State
cross
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
off
High Tide
2:58AM1.78m
3:55PM1.84m
3:55AM1.79m
4:50PM1.86m
4:49AM1.83m
5:37PM1.90m
5:37AM1.87m
6:18PM1.95m
6:23AM1.91m
6:56PM1.99m
7:06AM1.93m
7:34PM2.03m
Low Tide
9:14PM0.80m
9:33AM0.72m
10:06PM0.79m
10:28AM0.70m
10:56PM0.75m
11:17AM0.64m
11:43PM0.69m
12:00PM0.56m
00:29AM0.61m
12:41PM0.49m
1:14AM0.52m
1:22PM0.44m
1:56AM0.43m
rain showers
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
light rain
light rain
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:39
6:37
6:37
6:35
6:33
6:33
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:37
5:37
5:38
5:39
5:39
5:40
5:42
 mm
1
1
4
5
Temp °C
14
13
12
13
11
14
14
12
15
16
13
17
17
13
14
14
14
14
15
12
Feels °C
7
8
10
10
8
9
11
8
13
13
10
16
16
11
9
8
8
9
12
10
  • Map Icons:
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  • 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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