Surf Forecasts:
Te Araroa surf forecast from 14 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 18 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 10s period, NNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 18 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 10s period, NNW swell with 3,259 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 18 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s 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 Friday (Sep 18) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 13s. Another secondary swell of 0.9m and 13s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Te Araroa in the next 16 days are 4.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 18) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 9s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 19) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Fri 18th Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Fri 18th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Fri 18th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Te Araroa over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll be straight with ya – we’ve got a long, quiet build‑up before anything really gets going at Te Araroa. For the next several days, it’s small, messy and not worth paddling out for. There’s a gap of about four days with no real surf on offer, so don’t rush down there just yet.
From Monday the 14th right through to Wednesday the 16th, you’re looking at tiny waves around 0.7ft to 1.0ft, mostly cross‑onshore junk. The combined swell energy sits in the weak range (23 to 40), and it’s just not happening. Thursday the 17th sees a bump to 2ft in the morning, but stiff cross‑winds keep it scrappy. By Thursday afternoon it’s 5ft but cross‑onshore with a short period of 5 seconds – no thanks.
Now, the big news comes Friday the 18th. Early morning we get glassy conditions and a solid 10ft swell from the NNW with a period of 8 seconds – combined energy is very strong (1994). That’s expert territory, but it’s clean, glassy and lined up nicely. Then Friday afternoon it swings to a 10ft NW swell, period 10 seconds, with a gentle offshore wind from the SSW – energy hits 2519 and it’s excellent for experienced surfers. This is the standout window of the whole outlook. Just be aware, long‑period groundswell like that 10‑second period can sometimes straighten out on beach breaks, but Te Araroa is a beach and point setup, so the point should handle it well. This is the one to pencil in.
Saturday the 19th drops right back – 3ft in the morning under glassy skies, but it’s weak and short‑lived. The rest of the week is mostly small, wind‑affected or cross‑shore rubbish until Thursday the 24th afternoon when a 6ft SE swell arrives with a 9‑second period and moderate energy (617), but cross‑winds spoil it. Friday the 25th morning shapes up okay – 4ft, glassy, clean – but still just ordinary.
The deep second week doesn’t offer much, just a few waist‑high pulses that get chopped up. Sunday the 27th sees 6ft to 7ft from the WNW, but it’s cross‑shore and sloppy.
So, to sum it up: if you’re an experienced surfer, Friday the 18th is your day. That glassy 10ft swell with offshore winds is the only real gem in this 16‑day window. Beginners and intermediates will find plenty of quiet days but nothing worth chasing.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Wed morning, min 10°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 27mm), heaviest during Fri morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu morning, min 9°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Fri morning, fresh winds from the WNW by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | |||||||||||||||
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 12 | NNE 12 | N 13 | NNE 11 | NNE 11 | NE 13 | NE 12 | WNW 5 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | NNW 6 | NNW 8 | NW 10 | NW 9 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 23 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 25 | 23 | 57 | 74 | 96 | 115 | 255 | 1476 | 2050 | 349 | 205 | 145 | 116 | 119 | 73 | 58 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | off | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 9:01PM2.04m | 9:26AM2.05m | 9:46PM2.01m | 10:10AM2.01m | 10:28PM1.97m | 10:55AM1.96m | 11:09PM1.92m | 11:41AM1.92m | 11:50PM1.87m | 12:29PM1.88m | 00:34AM1.81m | 1:20PM1.85m | 1:24AM1.77m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:58PM0.40m | 3:24AM0.34m | 3:42PM0.43m | 4:07AM0.38m | 4:24PM0.49m | 4:48AM0.44m | 5:07PM0.57m | 5:28AM0.52m | 5:54PM0.66m | 6:10AM0.61m | 6:46PM0.73m | 6:56AM0.69m | 7:41PM0.77m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | |  | | | | |  |  |  |  | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:09 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — |
 | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 9 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 11 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 18 | 11 | 9 |
Feels °C | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 4 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 10 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 13 | NW 10 | NW 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 11 | WNW 8 |
| kJ | 190 | 122 | 109 | 133 | 125 | 98 | 96 | 90 | 74 | 96 | 90 | 52 | 249 | 2050 | 349 | 147 | 95 | 116 | 119 | 73 | 310 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 4 | NNE 12 | NNW 4 | NNE 11 | NE 13 | NE 13 | NE 12 | SE 13 | SE 12 | NE 12 | ENE 11 | SE 15 | ESE 13 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SSE 7 | NNE 9 | NE 9 | SE 11 |
| kJ | 4 | 13 | 3 | 13 | 7 | 25 | 23 | 57 | 72 | 21 | 12 | 35 | 269 | 294 | 107 | 205 | 145 | 31 | 8 | 3 | 58 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 12 | WNW 4 | N 13 | NE 11 | NNE 11 | N 12 | SE 13 | NE 12 | NE 12 | N 11 | NE 11 | ESE 11 | — | SE 12 | SE 11 | WNW 8 | NNE 9 | NNE 8 | E 11 | E 11 | NE 11 |
| kJ | 23 | 2 | 14 | 5 | 13 | 11 | 7 | 23 | 22 | 2 | 4 | 12 | — | 175 | 213 | 51 | 45 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NNW 2 | — | — | NNW 2 | NW 3 | NW 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | NW 5 | NW 5 | NNW 6 | NNW 8 | — | S 8 | S 9 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SSE 7 |
| kJ | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 5 | 10 | 52 | 91 | 56 | 115 | 255 | 1476 | — | 317 | 686 | 33 | 555 | 672 | 640 | 158 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 18 | 18 | 18 | 6 | 9 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 9 | 18 | 67 | 107 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 56 | 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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