Surf Forecasts:
Tuhawaiki Point surf forecast from 9 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 12 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 16s period, SSE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 12 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 16s period, SSE swell with 525 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 10 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 9s period with E 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 Thursday (Sep 10) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 13s. 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 1.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 12) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.3m 12s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 12) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 2ft (0.6m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Sat 12th Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tuhawaiki Point over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Hey, Rusty here. Looking at the next couple weeks for Tuhawaiki Point, you’re not going to be spoiled for choice. The first couple days are flat and junky—Wednesday and Thursday morning have nothing worth paddling out for. There’s a gap until Friday morning, and even then it’s small, ordinary waves. Water temp is running about 51°F, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year—nothing crazy, but you’ll notice it’s not freezing like it often is.
Then Saturday the 12th finally wakes up. Saturday morning brings a clean 3ft swell from the southeast with a 16-second period—proper long-period groundswell. Combined energy is strong at 529, and with a light northwest cross-offshore breeze, it’s glassy and lined up. That’s the standout of the entire window—Tuhawaiki, being a point, will handle that long-period swell perfectly, unlike a beach break that might close out. Saturday afternoon turns onshore and choppy, so get out early.
Sunday the 13th still has decent energy—3ft from the southeast at 12 seconds, moderate energy around 226, and clean morning conditions with a light northwest cross-offshore. But the afternoon gets ruined by an easterly breeze, so again, morning is the call. After that, it fades fast. Monday and Tuesday drop to ankle-high mush, and Wednesday the 16th gets hammered by a 28 mph southwest wind—that’s not surf, that’s kite weather. The second week is pretty much a write-off: mostly under 2ft, short-period leftovers, and inconsistent. There’s a brief blip on Saturday the 19th with a small 2ft swell and offshore west-northwest wind, but it’s not worth the drive.
So the honest take: Saturday morning the 12th is the only true standout—big enough for confident intermediates, not scary for most, and clean as it gets. Sunday morning is a decent backup. The rest is mostly flat or blown out, and Tuhawaiki is inconsistent anyway, so this blank run isn’t unusual for the spot. Keep an eye on the weather—forecasts change, but right now, one good session in the next two weeks, and that’s it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 14°C on Wed afternoon, min 3°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon afternoon, min 5°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 10 | E 9 | E 9 | E 8 | S 6 | SE 18 | SSE 18 | SE 17 | SSE 16 | SSE 16 | SSE 16 | SSE 16 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SSE 11 | SE 10 | SE 11 | SSE 10 | NE 4 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 8 | 14 | 55 | 32 | 50 | 83 | 120 | 75 | 166 | 525 | 525 | 430 | 195 | 202 | 142 | 96 | 75 | 25 | 31 | 10 | 3 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:30PM2.44m | 1:51AM2.47m | 2:32PM2.43m | 2:42AM2.44m | 3:26PM2.37m | 3:36AM2.41m | 4:12PM2.26m | 4:30AM2.36m | 4:52PM2.13m | 5:19AM2.31m | 5:30PM2.03m | 6:05AM2.24m | 6:13PM1.98m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:34PM0.51m | 8:05AM0.48m | 8:24PM0.51m | 8:59AM0.43m | 9:15PM0.53m | 9:55AM0.43m | 10:05PM0.54m | 10:49AM0.47m | 10:52PM0.55m | 11:38AM0.54m | 11:37PM0.58m | 12:20PM0.61m | 00:24AM0.65m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | |  | | | | |  | | | | | | |  | | | | |
 | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — |
 | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:17 | — | — | 6:19 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:21 | — | — | 6:22 | — |
mm | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 11 | 14 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 13 | 12 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 12 | 15 | 12 | 17 | 18 | 11 |
Feels °C | 7 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 13 | 8 | 12 | 14 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 4 | E 9 | E 9 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 5 | SSE 18 | SE 17 | SSE 6 | SSE 16 | SSE 16 | SSE 16 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SSE 11 | SE 10 | SE 11 | SSE 10 | NE 4 |
| kJ | 1 | 14 | 55 | 27 | 17 | 15 | 120 | 75 | 41 | 525 | 525 | 430 | 195 | 202 | 142 | 96 | 75 | 25 | 31 | 10 | 2 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | SE 8 | SE 13 | E 8 | E 8 | SE 18 | E 8 | E 8 | SSE 16 | E 13 | E 14 | E 13 | SSE 17 | SSE 18 | E 12 | — | SE 16 | — | — | — | SE 9 |
| kJ | 8 | 2 | 7 | 32 | 21 | 83 | 5 | 5 | 166 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 28 | 30 | 3 | — | 9 | — | — | — | 3 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | S 18 | S 17 | SSE 16 | SSE 19 | E 8 | — | NE 4 | E 8 | E 8 | ENE 13 | E 13 | E 13 | E 13 | E 10 | E 12 | E 12 | SE 15 | E 12 | E 13 | S 13 |
| kJ | 2 | 6 | 5 | 24 | 36 | 10 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 4 | ENE 4 | — | S 6 | S 6 | — | — | — | S 7 | — | — | — | — | — | N 2 | — | — | — | — | NNW 2 | — |
| kJ | 3 | 3 | — | 135 | 50 | — | — | — | 311 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 112 | 137 | 0 | 0 | 141 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 155 | 0 | 0 | 112 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 87 | 87 | 164 | 181 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Canterbury | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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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