Surf Forecasts:
Te Araroa surf forecast from 3 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 8 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 9s period, NNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s period, NW swell with 939 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 9s period with NNW 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 Tuesday (Sep 08) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 16s. 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 (Sep 07) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.2m 7s period and expected on Friday (Sep 04) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 7ft (2.1m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Tue 8th Sep) | 7ft (2.1m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 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 break it down.
It's a bit of a slow burner for this stretch, so don't go charging in too early. The first few days are looking pretty ugly, definitely a wait-and-see situation. The main event is shaping up for Tuesday the 8th of September, where we finally get a proper window of clean, solid surf. The rest of the period is mostly small and forgettable, with a few tiny clean windows but almost no power.
Tuesday the 8th of September is the clear standout. We've got a moderate groundswell from the NW pushing about 7ft, and while the period is standard at 8 seconds, the energy is solid, right in that moderate range (combined energy of 636). The wind on Tuesday morning is a light offshore from the West, keeping the faces clean and lined up. That's your session for the whole run – good size for a strong intermediate, offering real waves. The water temp is around 58°, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing crazy there.
Before that, from Thursday the 3rd through Monday the 7th it's a total loss. We go from a messy 6ft cross-shore chop on Thursday up to a massive 10ft NW swell on Monday with onshore winds, hitting an enormous combined energy (1101). That’s expert-only territory, and even then, the wind is terrible. That beach and point setup is going to be a complete washing machine – way better for kite surfing than paddling.
After Tuesday the 8th, it falls off a cliff. Wednesday the 9th sees the swell fade fast, and from there we hit a long, flat spell. From Wednesday the 9th right through to Tuesday the 15th of September, the waves barely touch 2ft, if that. There are a couple of tiny, glassy moments – like Monday the 14th afternoon with a flat calm and zero swell, and Wednesday the 16th morning with a tiny 1ft long-period groundswell (15 seconds) – but it's almost completely flat. Those are only for a longboard on a super calm day, but the energy is next to nothing.
So, keep your powder dry for that Tuesday morning window. It's the only real call of the whole run.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri morning, min 9°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Fri afternoon, light winds from the WNW by Sat afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Mon morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun night, min 10°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NW on Mon morning, calm by Tue morning). | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | ||||||||||||||
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 6 | WNW 6 | ENE 10 | NW 7 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | WNW 5 | NW 6 | NW 7 | N 7 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | NE 8 | NW 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 108 | 197 | 10 | 529 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 92 | 183 | 742 | 127 | 660 | 442 | 344 | 187 | 57 | 64 | 52 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross |
High Tide | 11:14PM1.98m | 11:39AM1.98m | 00:05AM1.98m | 12:38PM1.96m | 00:59AM1.97m | 1:41PM1.96m | 1:59AM1.96m | 2:50PM1.99m | 3:05AM1.94m | 3:58PM2.05m | 4:12AM1.93m | 4:58PM2.11m | |||||||
Low Tide | 5:36AM0.39m | 6:02PM0.53m | 6:28AM0.44m | 7:01PM0.58m | 7:25AM0.48m | 8:05PM0.61m | 8:28AM0.49m | 9:11PM0.62m | 9:32AM0.48m | 10:14PM0.58m | 10:34AM0.45m | 11:16PM0.53m | |||||||
 |  |  |  | | |  |  |  | |  | | | | |  | | | | |
 | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — |
mm | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 |
Feels °C | 10 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | WNW 7 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | SSE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | E 10 | N 7 | NNW 9 | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | SSE 8 | NE 8 |
| kJ | 47 | 38 | 21 | 9 | 243 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 127 | 660 | 442 | 344 | 187 | 57 | 78 | 46 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | ENE 10 | SSE 9 | S 8 | — | E 10 | NE 16 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | NE 15 | N 7 | NE 8 | SSE 7 |
| kJ | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 1 | — | 7 | 10 | 100 | 123 | 9 | 23 | 64 | 37 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 10 | N 10 | N 10 | S 17 | SSE 10 | N 10 | N 9 | — | S 19 | S 18 | — | E 16 | NE 16 | NE 16 | NE 17 | NE 16 | NE 7 | NW 7 | NE 13 |
| kJ | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 2 | — | 7 | 6 | — | 5 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 18 | 43 | 7 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | NW 7 | — | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | NW 6 | NW 7 | WNW 8 | SW 2 | — | — | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | — | NW 7 |
| kJ | 108 | 197 | 431 | 529 | — | 181 | 159 | 94 | 92 | 183 | 742 | 527 | 2 | — | — | 158 | 149 | — | 52 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 18 | 18 | 91 | 115 | 73 | 121 | 75 | 67 | 67 | 67 | 91 | 83 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 39 | 39 | 8 |
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.
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