Te Araroa Surf Break

Lat Long: 37.63° S 178.38° E

Te Araroa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 am 18 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Te Araroa sea temperature is
15.3° C
0.5° 

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 18 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 10s period, SE swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 10s period, SE swell with 1,122 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 10s 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 Wednesday (Aug 19) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.4m and 10s 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 2.4m 10s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 4.0m 10s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 9PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 9PM (Wed 19th Aug)8ft (2.4m) 10s
Best Surf 9PM (Wed 19th Aug)8ft (2.4m) 10s
Most Powerful 9PM (Wed 19th Aug)8ft (2.4m) 10s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, you know it’s still a bit up and down here in the Te Araroa region but at least there’s some action coming. Good news: it might go quiet again for a few days, so let me guide you through the windows.

Looks like the first real call for a paddle is on Thursday 20th August. There's a sniff of a clean little run building. The morning starts with clean waves around 5ft pushing in from the southeast with a 9 second interval and the combined energy is sitting at 384 (moderate). The wind is light and offshore from the SSW – a nice little treat for the points and beach setup. Afternoon glass-off with no wind isn’t too shabby either. This is a solid chance for beginners to get out, but conditions will be tidy enough for anyone to enjoy. The water temperature is hanging around 60°F, basically normal for the time of year.

Friday 21st August keeps it clean and rideable, especially in the morning with a glassy 3ft southeasterly swell (218 energy – moderate). The afternoon stiffens a bit with a cross-off from the WNW, but it’s still okay for a surf.

Then things start to get a bit messy. Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd have gusty cross-shore winds and a short, weak swell – basically not worth suiting up. That kicks off a run of poor surf stretching through until the end of the month. Waves drop right off or come in with the wrong wind, and the energy is very low. It’s a frustrating gap if you’re keen.

Now, look ahead – the true standout here is way out past the horizon: Tuesday 1st September – but it’s a tricky one, so listen up. In the morning we’ve got a massive 15ft swell from the NNW at 10 seconds, with an enormous energy rating of 3472 (very strong). Problem is, this is expert-only territory – way too big for beginners or intermediates at this exposed break. It’s also cross-onshore with a 9 mph wind. The afternoon eases a hair to 11ft, still big and ugly for most. This is a day for big-wave chargers who know the lineup, but for anyone else, the setup is looking more like a kite-surfing day than paddle surfing.

The following days drop back in size, but still carry lumpy cross-shore wind and messy conditions into that first week of September.

If you're a beginner or looking for family-friendly clean banks, keep your eyes firmly on that Thursday 20th to Friday 21st August window – it's the only clean, manageable run in this forecast. Everything else is wind-affected, too small, or too big to handle.

Stay keen, stay patient.

- Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu morning, min 5°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the S on Wed morning, calm by Thu afternoon).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat morning, min 10°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Fri morning, fresh winds from the WNW by Sun morning).

Tuesday
18
Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
3
2
2
1
2
2
1
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)
0.4
ENE
9
0.1
N
10
0.1
N
10
3
SSE
10
0.4
SE
14
2.2
SE
10
1.6
SE
9
1.6
SE
9
1.1
SE
9
0.9
SE
9
1
SE
10
0.8
SE
10
0.5
SE
9
1.7
WNW
6
0.2
ESE
13
0.2
ESE
13
0.2
ESE
13
0.2
ESE
12
0.3
ESE
13
0.2
ESE
13
1.1
WNW
6
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
28
2
2
0
64
876
384
370
186
126
216
113
41
193
16
17
17
15
32
17
74
Wind (km/h)
10
SW
25
SSW
15
SW
35
S
35
S
15
SSW
10
SSW
5
SSW
5
WSW
0
SW
15
WNW
10
W
20
W
25
WNW
30
WNW
30
WNW
30
WNW
25
W
15
W
20
WNW
20
WNW
Wind State
cross-off
off
off
off
off
off
off
glassy
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
High Tide
10:40AM2.03m
11:03PM2.04m
11:28AM1.97m
11:46PM1.99m
12:17PM1.92m
00:29AM1.93m
1:07PM1.88m
1:13AM1.87m
2:00PM1.85m
2:02AM1.81m
2:56PM1.84m
2:58AM1.78m
3:55PM1.84m
Low Tide
4:54PM0.47m
5:24AM0.43m
5:39PM0.55m
6:08AM0.50m
6:27PM0.64m
6:53AM0.57m
7:20PM0.72m
7:40AM0.65m
8:17PM0.78m
8:34AM0.71m
9:14PM0.80m
9:33AM0.72m
10:06PM0.79m
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:47
6:46
6:45
6:43
6:41
6:41
6:39
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:32
5:34
5:35
5:35
5:36
5:37
5:37
 mm
2
1
Temp °C
12
12
9
10
11
9
13
13
10
13
13
11
15
15
14
14
15
13
15
15
13
Feels °C
6
5
3
1
3
5
10
11
8
11
10
8
9
10
8
8
9
9
11
11
9
  • 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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