Surf Forecasts:
Te Araroa surf forecast from 30 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 5 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 7s period, NW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 6PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 7s period, NW swell with 947 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 10s period with NE 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 01) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 10s 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 3.0m 7s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 8s period and expected on Monday (Aug 31) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Sat 5th Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Sun 6th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Te Araroa over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve gotta be straight with you – the surf outlook for Te Araroa over the next 16 days is a real mixed bag, and honestly, most of it’s a write-off. We’ve got a long stretch of poor conditions, but there are a couple of windows that might get your hopes up, especially if you’re patient.
The first decent chance rolls in on Tuesday morning, September 1st. We’re looking at a small 2ft swell from the NE with a period of 10 seconds, and the wind is offshore from the SSW at 9 mph – that’s a gentler breeze, giving us clean, glassy conditions. The wave energy is weak though, sitting at 59. It’s not going to blow your mind, but for a beginner-friendly spot like Te Araroa, it’s a solid little session. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Tuesday afternoon on September 1st gets even better for cleanliness, with glassy conditions and a light SSE wind at 3 mph. Same small 2ft NE swell, but the vibe is perfect for a quiet paddle. Crowds are never an issue here, so you’ll have the place to yourself.
Now, after that, things go south. From Wednesday September 2nd right through to Friday September 11th, we’ve got a long gap of poor surf conditions. The wind is mostly cross or cross-off, and the swell gets messy – on Friday September 4th, we see a 8ft NW swell with a short 7-second period, and the combined energy hits 502. That’s moderate wave energy, but the cross-shore wind is strong and lumpy, making it a real chop fest. This is more for the kite surfers, not paddle surfers. Even when the swell drops off, the wind stays uncooperative.
The next standout window appears on Monday September 14th. The morning brings a 3ft SE swell with an 8-second period, and the wind is offshore from the S at 6 mph – light and clean. The combined energy is 201, which is moderate, and the comment says “expect good surf conditions.” It’s not huge, but for Te Araroa, this is the best we’ve seen in a while. The swell direction is off the SE, while the optimum is NE, so it’s not perfect, but with offshore wind, it’ll be rideable and clean.
From there, it trails off again. Tuesday September 15th has a small 3ft ESE swell with a longer 11-second period, but the wind is cross-off, and the vibe is just ordinary. The energy is 158, so it’s weak.
The long-range forecast into the second week (September 10th to 15th) is pretty forgettable – just tiny waves and iffy winds. Nothing to plan a trip around.
If you’re keen, the best bet is the morning of September 14th – that’s your standout day. The morning of September 1st is also a nice, gentle option for beginners. Everything else? Save your energy.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon morning, min 8°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Mon afternoon, calm by Tue afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu morning, min 9°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Fri morning, light winds from the W by Sat morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NNE 9 | NNE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 9 | NE 9 | NE 9 | ENE 9 | NE 11 | WNW 6 | NW 6 | WNW 6 | NW 7 | NW 8 | NW 7 | WNW 6 | NW 6 | NW 5 | NW 7 | NW 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
29 | 37 | 84 | 60 | 45 | 30 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 18 | 201 | 114 | 235 | 421 | 558 | 235 | 156 | 89 | 107 | 643 | 671 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 8:54PM2.02m | 9:12AM1.99m | 9:39PM2.00m | 9:57AM2.00m | 10:26PM1.98m | 10:46AM1.99m | 11:14PM1.98m | 11:39AM1.98m | 00:05AM1.98m | 12:38PM1.96m | 00:59AM1.97m | 1:41PM1.96m | 1:59AM1.96m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:49PM0.39m | 3:20AM0.32m | 3:34PM0.40m | 4:03AM0.32m | 4:20PM0.43m | 4:47AM0.34m | 5:09PM0.47m | 5:36AM0.39m | 6:02PM0.53m | 6:28AM0.44m | 7:01PM0.58m | 7:25AM0.48m | 8:05PM0.61m | ||||||||
6:30 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | |
— | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 16 |
Feels °C | 10 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 9 | NNE 10 | NE 10 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | NW 7 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | ENE 10 | ENE 9 |
28 | 37 | 84 | 426 | 231 | 191 | 222 | 125 | 115 | 81 | 78 | 23 | 22 | 10 | 10 | 235 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 9 | SSE 9 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 8 | SSE 12 | NE 9 | SSE 18 | SE 17 | NE 11 | NE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | ENE 10 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | ENE 9 | S 21 |
29 | 8 | 77 | 214 | 146 | 265 | 12 | 126 | 77 | 18 | 18 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 9 | 8 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 11 | SSE 18 | SE 11 | NE 10 | NE 10 | NE 9 | SSE 18 | NE 9 | ENE 9 | N 11 | N 11 | N 10 | N 10 | N 10 | SE 11 | SE 9 | N 10 | S 11 | S 11 | SE 16 | E 18 |
11 | 30 | 5 | 60 | 45 | 30 | 61 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 6 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 8 | — | — | — | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | NW 6 | WNW 6 | NW 7 | NW 8 | — | WNW 6 | NW 6 | NW 5 | NW 7 | NW 7 |
877 | 1088 | 763 | — | — | — | 147 | 291 | 280 | 145 | 201 | 114 | 235 | 421 | 558 | — | 156 | 89 | 107 | 643 | 671 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 18 | 67 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 18 | 9 | 18 | 18 | 67 | 812 | 56 | 0 | 333 | 39 | 118 | 120 | 67 |
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.











