Surf Forecasts:
Te Araroa surf forecast from 2 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 7 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, NW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, NW swell with 2,128 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 5 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 7s period with NW 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 Saturday (Sep 05) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 10s. 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 3.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.4m 7s period and expected on Friday (Sep 04) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Sat 5th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Te Araroa over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
The surf kicks off with nothing doing. Wednesday the 2nd through to Thursday the 3rd has tiny 0.2m to 0.3m NE swell, and cross-off or cross winds means you’re looking at flat, clean water with no push. Forget it.
Friday the 4th brings a bit more size – 1.6m to 2.0m NW swell – but that short period of 6 seconds and messy cross winds make for sloppy, lumpy conditions. The combined energy jumps to 313 (moderate), but it’s not surfable for a paddle. Honestly, with that wind and chop, it’s more interesting for kite surfing.
Saturday the 5th is slightly better. Morning has 1.4m NW swell, cross-off wind, and clean conditions – surfable but very ordinary. The combined energy is 179 (moderate). Afternoon bumps to 1.8m but with lighter cross winds. Still, nothing to get excited about.
Sunday the 6th is back to poor – 1.3m to 1.4m NW swell with onshore cross winds and lumpy chop. Not worth it.
Monday the 7th is the big one – but for the wrong reasons. The swell hits 3.5m NW (period 9 sec) in the morning, and the combined energy is a massive 1867 (very strong). The file says it’s too big for this break. That’s expert-only territory, and even then, it’s dicey. Afternoon drops to 3.0m but remains too big for most.
Tuesday the 8th has 1.3m NNW swell with light cross-on wind – marginal. Wednesday the 9th morning is glassy with 0.8m NW swell but still ordinary. The rest of the week stays poor or marginal.
Now, here’s the standout. Tuesday the 15th of September. The morning at Te Araroa (beach and point, exposed to swell) is glassy with a light SSE breeze – dead calm. A 1.4m SE swell with an 8-second period rolls in, and the combined energy is 302 (moderate). The guidance says the optimum swell direction is NE, but this SE swell is still solid, and with those glassy conditions and offshore wind, you’ll get clean, rideable waves. The break is consistent and crowded only ‘never’, so you’ll have plenty of room. That’s the one to mark on the calendar – clean, user-friendly, and uncrowded.
The following days fade back to poor. Wednesday the 16th and Thursday the 17th see a long-period SE swell (14 sec), but cross winds and chop ruin it.
To sum it up: don’t bother until Tuesday the 15th of September. That morning is your best shot – glassy, 1.4m SE swell, and empty lineups. Everything else is flat, messy, or too big.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Wed afternoon, min 9°C on Fri night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 16°C on Sun night, min 7°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NW on Sun night, calm by Mon night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NE 9 | NE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | WNW 6 | NW 6 | NW 6 | ENE 10 | NW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | NW 5 | NW 7 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NNW 8 | NW 8 | NW 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 12 | 13 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 123 | 154 | 301 | 10 | 168 | 230 | 64 | 90 | 111 | 940 | 1865 | 1228 | 664 | 241 | 250 | 113 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | off | cross-on | cross | off |
High Tide | 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 | 2:50PM1.99m | 3:05AM1.94m | 3:58PM2.05m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 8:28AM0.49m | 9:11PM0.62m | 9:32AM0.48m | 10:14PM0.58m | ||||||||
 | |  | | |  |  |  | | | | | | |  | |  | | | | | |
 | 6:26 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — |
 | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | 10 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 16 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 10 |
Feels °C | 10 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | ENE 10 | NW 7 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | ENE 10 | E 10 | E 9 | NW 9 | NW 9 | NNW 8 | SSE 10 | NW 6 |
| kJ | 222 | 161 | 78 | 111 | 77 | 47 | 38 | 22 | 10 | 168 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 1228 | 664 | 241 | 116 | 113 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 18 | SSE 18 | SSE 17 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 11 | ENE 10 | SSE 10 | ENE 10 | SE 9 | S 8 | SSE 9 | SSE 9 | E 18 | — | E 10 | NE 16 | SSE 11 | NNE 7 | SSE 10 |
| kJ | 62 | 127 | 115 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 6 | — | 2 | 10 | 180 | 18 | 83 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 9 | NE 9 | ENE 9 | N 11 | N 11 | N 10 | N 10 | N 10 | N 10 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SE 11 | — | — | S 19 | — | E 16 | NE 16 | NE 16 | NE 15 | NE 15 |
| kJ | 12 | 13 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 4 | — | — | 7 | — | 5 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | NW 6 | NW 6 | WNW 7 | — | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | NW 5 | NW 7 | NW 9 | SSW 4 | SSE 8 | WNW 3 | NW 8 | SSW 3 |
| kJ | 233 | 263 | 332 | 145 | 126 | 123 | 154 | 301 | 415 | — | 230 | 64 | 90 | 111 | 940 | 1865 | 40 | 244 | 6 | 250 | 1 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 115 | 0 | 168 | 75 | 67 | 75 | 116 | 56 | 56 | 0 | 8 | 18 | 0 |
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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