Te Araroa Surf Break

Lat Long: 37.63° S 178.38° E

Te Araroa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 pm 19 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Te Araroa sea temperature is
16.1° C
0.9° 

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 19 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 19 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 12s period, SE swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 26 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, NW swell with 1,429 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 12s 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 Sunday (Jul 19) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 12s 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 3.0m 9s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 26) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 7s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 9PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 9PM (Sun 19th Jul)3.5ft (1.0m) 12s
Best Surf 9PM (Sun 19th Jul)3.5ft (1.0m) 12s
Most Powerful 3PM (Sun 26th Jul)10ft (3.0m) 9s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's chew the fat on what Te Araroa is serving up over the next couple of weeks.

It's a slow cooker, but there's a solid opening window of clean, smaller surf. The real standout is the first day, so don't be a goose and miss it. After that, we're in for a moody ocean before maybe, just maybe, a big one shows up way down the line.

The First Call

The best bet is *Sunday morning, July 19th* at Te Araroa. We're looking at a 4ft swell from the SE, with a solid 13-second period behind it. That's a proper groundswell with some real grunt. The combined energy is moderate at 509, and the real kicker is the light cross-offshore breeze from the WSW at 6 mph. The water is sitting at 61°F and it's about 2°F warmer than usual for this time of year, which is a nice little bonus. Expect very good surf. The glass-off on Sunday afternoon is something to be keen on too, with zero wind and 4ft of the same SE swell. It won't be as punchy, but it'll be smooth as silk.

The Rest of the Week

Monday (July 20th) sees the swell drop right back to under 3ft, and the wind picks up from the south, making it a bit messy. Tuesday and Wednesday are similar – small, clean enough but pretty ordinary, with the swell energy dropping right down. Thursday and Friday get a bit weird... a tiny bit of swell on Thursday but with onshore winds, and then Friday the 24th brings a lumpy, short-period windswell from the NW that's just not worth it. There's a few days gap there with nothing really to recommend.

Second Week Hopes

The second week stays pretty quiet. You'll see a pulse of long-period swell on the 26th (Sunday) and 27th (Monday) from the SE, with a period of 16 and 15 seconds. That's deep ocean energy, but the swell height is only 2ft, and it's getting hammered by a strong 19-22 mph offshore wind. It'll be clean, but it'll be a struggle. The combined energy is moderate (around 248 and 220), but it's more of a blown-out, choppy mess than a session.

The story changes dramatically as we head into the first week of August. From the 30th of July through to the 2nd of August, we get a building, then very large, NW swell. The problem is the wind – it's a disaster. Strong onshore and cross-shore winds, rain, and even a risk of thunderstorms make it impossible. Check out the morning of August 2nd – a massive 12ft NW swell with a crazy 1799 combined energy, but it's way too big for this spot. The file says it's too big for the break. That's a miss for us, but it might be a sight to see.

Final Word

So, the window is tight. Sunday the 19th is your day. Don't miss it. The rest of the run is a write-off until maybe the very end, and that's a big maybe. It's a bit of a bummer, but that's winter for you.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Sun afternoon, min 9°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri morning, min 9°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed afternoon, strong winds from the NW by Fri afternoon).

Sun
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
Saturday
25
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
2
1
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
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)
1.1
SE
13
0.9
ESE
12
0.9
SE
12
0.8
ESE
12
0.7
SE
11
0.7
SE
11
0.6
ESE
11
0.8
SE
11
0.5
SE
11
0.5
SE
10
0.4
SE
10
0.4
SE
11
0.4
SE
11
0.4
SE
11
1.3
WNW
5
1.8
NW
6
1.5
NW
6
0.6
E
10
0.5
E
9
0.5
SE
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
424
255
209
177
130
126
82
168
55
53
25
30
30
29
65
199
175
68
43
121
Wind (km/h)
5
SE
15
SSW
25
SSE
25
SSE
20
S
15
S
15
SSE
5
SW
5
WSW
5
SSE
10
S
5
SSW
15
NW
20
WNW
20
WNW
35
NW
20
WNW
40
W
35
W
55
WNW
Wind State
glassy
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
glassy
glassy
off
glassy
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
High Tide
10:47PM2.19m
11:09AM2.06m
11:36PM2.11m
12:02PM2.00m
00:24AM2.05m
12:54PM1.94m
1:10AM1.99m
1:46PM1.90m
1:56AM1.93m
2:39PM1.88m
2:45AM1.88m
3:36PM1.88m
Low Tide
4:33PM0.45m
5:11AM0.43m
5:23PM0.51m
5:59AM0.46m
6:12PM0.57m
6:47AM0.51m
7:03PM0.64m
7:35AM0.57m
7:58PM0.71m
8:26AM0.62m
8:54PM0.76m
9:20AM0.66m
9:50PM0.79m
clear
part cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
rain showers
clear
part cloud
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:15
7:15
7:13
7:13
7:13
7:11
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:08
5:08
5:09
5:10
5:12
5:12
5:13
 mm
2
7
8
Temp °C
13
12
12
12
11
12
12
10
12
12
10
12
13
11
14
14
13
11
12
14
Feels °C
11
8
7
6
6
8
8
7
11
11
7
9
9
7
7
7
8
2
4
5
  • 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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