Surf Forecasts:
The Desert surf forecast from 20 Jun 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 22 Jun, 9PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 18s period, SSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 22 Jun, 9PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 18s period, SSW swell with 7,428 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 21 Jun, 9AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 14s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Desert this week:
The surf forecast for The Desert over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jun 21) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 4s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Desert in the next 16 days are 3.5m 18s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jun 22) at 9PM. 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 8s period and expected on Sunday (Jun 21) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Sun 21st Jun) | 3ft (0.9m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Mon 22nd Jun) | 11ft (3.5m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 9PM (Mon 22nd Jun) | 11ft (3.5m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Desert over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat afternoon, min 10°C on Sun night). Mainly near gales. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Wed morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Tue morning, min 8°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNE on Tue night, near gales from the SSW by Thu afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 20 | Sunday 21 | Monday 22 | Tuesday 23 | Wednesday 24 | Thursday 25 | Friday 26 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 7 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 566 | 328 | 314 | 286 | 245 | 180 | 425 | 730 | 6603 | 2259 | 1286 | 727 | 486 | 325 | 363 | 307 | 292 | 514 | 2228 | 2214 | 2249 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | glassy | cross | on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 9:21AM1.69m | 9:47PM1.78m | 10:14AM1.67m | 10:42PM1.72m | 11:06AM1.66m | 11:35PM1.67m | 11:59AM1.64m | 00:25AM1.63m | 12:51PM1.63m | 1:13AM1.59m | 1:41PM1.63m | 2:01AM1.56m | 2:29PM1.63m | 2:49AM1.52m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:32PM0.23m | 4:13AM0.24m | 4:30PM0.26m | 5:04AM0.28m | 5:26PM0.32m | 5:52AM0.34m | 6:19PM0.38m | 6:38AM0.41m | 7:10PM0.45m | 7:23AM0.48m | 8:00PM0.51m | 8:07AM0.55m | 8:48PM0.57m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  | | |  | | | | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — |
 | — | 4:53 | — | — | 4:54 | — | — | 4:54 | — | — | 4:54 | — | — | 4:54 | — | — | 4:55 | — | — | 4:55 | — |
mm | — | — | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Temp °C | 15 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 8 |
Feels °C | 6 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 2 | -1 | -2 | -1 | -1 | 3 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | ENE 7 | SSW 14 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 |
| kJ | 566 | 328 | 314 | 286 | 245 | 180 | 425 | 730 | 6603 | 2259 | 1286 | 727 | 486 | 325 | 70 | 307 | 292 | 514 | 2228 | 2214 | 2249 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 11 | NE 11 | NE 10 | SSE 4 | S 4 | ENE 9 | S 9 | S 17 | — | — | — | ENE 6 | WNW 5 | ENE 8 | SSW 13 | NE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 | ENE 8 |
| kJ | 45 | 41 | 36 | 10 | 3 | 8 | 15 | 603 | — | — | — | 30 | 2 | 120 | 225 | 64 | 54 | 33 | 60 | 49 | 55 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 16 | SE 16 | SE 15 | ENE 10 | NE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | — | — | — | WNW 5 | — | — | — | — | SSW 15 | E 13 | ENE 12 | ENE 11 | ENE 10 |
| kJ | 10 | 10 | 9 | 38 | 13 | 8 | 8 | 7 | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | 86 | 4 | 14 | 12 | 39 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 7 | NW 7 | WNW 8 | — | ENE 10 | S 5 | — | E 4 | — | NE 4 | NE 5 | NW 4 | ENE 7 | WSW 3 | SSW 7 | S 6 | S 6 | S 7 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 672 | 535 | 883 | — | 38 | 75 | — | 1 | — | 29 | 36 | 7 | 169 | 5 | 363 | 282 | 244 | 247 | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 79 | 179 | 79 | 0 | 7 | 88 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 11 | 0 | 107 | 241 | 134 | 173 | 241 | 74 |
Best forecast wave conditions in The Wairarapa | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our The Desert surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
Information about the The Desert Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for The Desert provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at The Desert can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our The Desert 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 (The Desert) 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 The Desert 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.
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