Tuhawaiki Point Surf Break

Lat Long: 44.45° S 171.26° E

Tuhawaiki Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 am 13 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Tuhawaiki Point sea temperature is
10.1°C
1.2° 

Tuhawaiki Point surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Tuhawaiki Point surf forecast from 12 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 19 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 13s period, SSE swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 19 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 13s period, SSE swell with 402 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 14 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 12s period with SE swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Tuhawaiki Point this week:

The surf forecast for Tuhawaiki Point over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 14) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 12s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Tuhawaiki Point in the next 16 days are 1.1m 13s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 19) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 19) at 6AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)12AM (Mon 14th Sep)2.5ft (0.8m) 12s
Best Surf12AM (Sat 19th Sep)3.5ft (1.1m) 13s
Most Powerful12AM (Sat 19th Sep)3.5ft (1.1m) 13s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tuhawaiki Point over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for Tuhawaiki Point.

To be straight with you, this 16-day window is a tough one for Tuhawaiki Point. For a spot that’s usually a bit hit-and-miss anyway, we’ve got a whole lot of nothing to start. The first real sniff of something worth paddling out for doesn’t arrive until Sunday the 13th of September, and even then it’s a narrow, early-morning window.

That Sunday morning, the swell is a modest 3 ft out of the SSE with a period of 12 seconds. It’s clean, with a light cross-off breeze from the NNW at just 3 mph. The water is sitting at 50° – a touch warmer than usual for this time of year. The combined energy is moderate at best (239), and it’s an exposed point, so it’ll grab what’s there. This is the pick of the entire run, but it’s only for the advanced surfer, and it’s inconsistent. If you want a wave, be there Sunday morning.

After that, things go pear-shaped. Monday the 14th has a glassy morning with a tiny 2 ft wave, but it’s weak and ordinary. From Monday afternoon all the way through to Friday the 18th, it’s a mess of onshore winds, tiny swell, or both. There’s a decent gap of several days with absolutely nothing to recommend.

Friday the 18th morning offers a glimmer – a glassy 2 ft wave from the ESE with a 13-second period. The energy is moderate (120), but it’s still only “surfable but ordinary”. Not worth a special trip, but if you’re local, it’s the least bad option.

Jumping ahead a week, there’s a small uptick around Wednesday the 23rd of September. The morning shows a 2 ft SSE swell with a long 16-second period, clean with a NW cross-off at 3 mph. The energy is moderate to strong (189). That long period means better shape for a point break like this, but the afternoon gets wrecked by a 19 mph SSE cross-on wind. So, again, a fleeting morning window.

The rest of the run into late September is a write-off. Small swell, wrong wind directions, and poor conditions dominate. For a spot that rarely fires consistently, this blank run is more normal for the area. The only true standout, if you can call it that, is that Sunday the 13th morning session.

Stay patient, keep an eye on the forecasts, but don’t get your hopes up too high.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue afternoon, min 8°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 11°C on Wed morning, min 4°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Sunday
13
Monday
14
Tuesday
15
Wednesday
16
Thursday
17
Friday
18
Saturday
19
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
2
1
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.8
SSE
12
0.8
SSE
11
0.8
SE
12
0.6
SE
10
0.6
SSE
10
0.4
SE
9
0.4
SE
8
0.3
SE
8
0.1
SE
10
0.1
SE
10
0.8
SSE
5
0.2
SSE
15
0.2
ESE
14
0.2
SSE
15
0.2
ESE
15
0.5
ESE
13
0.5
ESE
12
1.1
SSE
13
0.4
ESE
12
0.4
SE
17
0.5
SE
15
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
171
160
161
87
65
29
17
10
4
4
29
21
18
23
22
95
89
402
56
73
116
Wind (km/h)
5
NNW
10
ENE
10
N
5
NW
15
NE
10
WNW
10
NNW
15
NNW
15
NW
15
S
20
SSE
10
SSE
10
SW
5
SW
10
NNW
5
NNW
10
ESE
5
N
10
NNW
15
ENE
10
WSW
Wind State
cross-off
on
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
glassy
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
High Tide
4:52PM2.13m
5:19AM2.31m
5:30PM2.03m
6:05AM2.24m
6:13PM1.98m
6:51AM2.16m
7:08PM1.98m
7:40AM2.08m
8:17PM2.01m
8:38AM2.04m
9:26PM2.05m
9:38AM2.05m
10:28PM2.07m
Low Tide
10:49AM0.47m
10:52PM0.55m
11:38AM0.54m
11:37PM0.58m
12:20PM0.61m
00:24AM0.65m
1:01PM0.67m
1:15AM0.74m
1:42PM0.73m
2:14AM0.83m
2:33PM0.78m
3:17AM0.89m
3:39PM0.82m
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
light rain
mod rain
light rain
rain showers
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:41
6:39
6:37
6:35
6:33
6:31
6:30
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:20
6:21
6:22
6:23
6:24
6:25
6:27
 mm
4
7
2
2
Temp °C
11
11
9
13
14
13
17
19
13
11
9
6
6
6
6
9
10
9
13
14
11
Feels °C
7
8
6
10
10
11
14
16
8
7
4
0
2
4
3
6
7
7
9
10
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 Tuhawaiki Point Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Tuhawaiki Point provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Tuhawaiki Point can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Tuhawaiki Point 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 (Tuhawaiki Point) 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 Tuhawaiki Point 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.

Tuhawaiki Point is 5 km (3 miles) from the city of Timaru. If you plan a holiday in Canterbury, look for hotels and other accommodation in Timaru. Timaru has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.

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