
Surf Forecasts:
Waimarama surf forecast from 18 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 19 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 18s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 19s period, S swell with 3,155 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 19 Jul, 9AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 18s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Waimarama this week:
The surf forecast for Waimarama over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m and 13s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Waimarama in the next 16 days are 2.1m 19s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 19) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 18s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Mon 20th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 19s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Waimarama over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s coming for Waimarama over the next couple of weeks.
Straight up, we’ve got a solid run of surf starting Sunday, July 19th. The water temp is about what you’d expect for this time of year. The first standout is Waimarama, a beach and reef break that gets a fair bit of swell. Sunday morning is looking sweet. We’ve got a 5ft south swell rolling in with a very long period of 18 seconds, and a light west wind keeping it cross-off. The combined energy is strong at 1687, so there’s plenty of power. This is excellent, clean surf for experienced surfers – the long period means the sets will be well-spaced and the waves will have real shape, but it’s going to be a bit too big for the beginners.
Monday the 20th keeps the quality going. The morning session is clean with a 5ft south swell and a 15-second period, under a light offshore breeze from the southwest. It’s clean and gentle. By Monday afternoon, the swell bumps up to 6ft from the south, with a 19-second period and a massive combined energy of 2991. This is powerful, groundswell territory, and it’s clean again. This is top-tier stuff for competent surfers, but it’s getting into expert-only size territory.
Tuesday the 21st morning is still a gem. 6ft of south swell, 15-second period, light cross-off wind, and clean conditions. The energy is still strong at 1416. Another great session for the experienced crew. By Tuesday afternoon, the wind swings onshore and the quality drops right off.
Wednesday the 22nd morning is a treat for the soul. Only 4ft of south swell, 12-second period, but the wind is glassy. Absolutely dead calm. The combined energy is 421, moderate, but for a clean, smaller day, this is a lovely option for a wider range of surfers. The waves will be clean little runners.
There’s a real gap from Wednesday afternoon all the way through to Saturday the 25th. The surf drops to tiny, weak, and messy with onshore winds. Not worth a paddle.
Then on Sunday the 26th of July, things get interesting again, but it’s a different beast. Morning brings a 10ft SSW swell, though it’s a short period of 10 seconds. The wind is a strong offshore from the WSW at 22 mph. The combined energy is a massive 2699, but with that short period and strong wind, it’s going to be a raw, powerful, and challenging day. This is strictly for experts, and the onshore side of things Monday afternoon gets a 25 mph offshore wind, which is strong offshore and clean but hard to paddle into. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing through the 26th and 27th.
We get a clean-up late on the 29th and 30th with some smaller, cleaner waves, but nothing that jumps out as a standout.
The next real highlight is a long way off, on Sunday, August 2nd. The morning session shows a 6ft SSW swell with an 11-second period, and a light offshore wind from the WSW. The combined energy is 1165 – strong. It’s clean and looks very good. This is a promising option, but it’s over a week away, so keep an eye on the forecast.
Then on Monday, August 3rd, we get a final nice pulse. 5ft of south swell, a very long 17-second period, and a moderate offshore wind from the WSW. The energy is high at 2364. This is excellent, clean surf for experienced surfers, but again, it's a long-range call, so treat it with a bit of caution.
So, to sum it up: the best of the best is the Sunday 19th to Tuesday 21st period, with Monday afternoon being the absolute peak. The second week has some potential around the 2nd and 3rd of August, but it's less certain.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Sun morning, min 8°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri morning, min 7°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | ||||||||||||||
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) | S 20 | S 18 | S 16 | S 15 | S 15 | S 19 | S 18 | S 15 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SSE 10 | NE 5 | NNE 5 | ESE 11 | ENE 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
2039 | 1229 | 771 | 780 | 830 | 2637 | 2485 | 1309 | 852 | 551 | 333 | 127 | 92 | 42 | 31 | 29 | 57 | 12 | 21 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | on | cross | glassy | on | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:18AM1.51m | 9:43PM1.59m | 10:12AM1.47m | 10:35PM1.52m | 11:05AM1.44m | 11:27PM1.45m | 11:57AM1.40m | 00:17AM1.38m | 12:47PM1.38m | 1:06AM1.33m | 1:35PM1.36m | 1:54AM1.30m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:14AM0.02m | 3:31PM0.05m | 4:06AM0.05m | 4:25PM0.11m | 4:57AM0.10m | 5:18PM0.17m | 5:46AM0.16m | 6:09PM0.23m | 6:33AM0.22m | 6:59PM0.28m | 7:19AM0.26m | 7:48PM0.32m | |||||||
— | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:08 | — | — | 5:09 | — | — | 5:10 | — | — | 5:12 | — | — | 5:13 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 11 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 12 |
Feels °C | 8 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 20 | S 18 | S 16 | S 15 | S 15 | S 19 | S 18 | S 15 | S 14 | S 13 | S 12 | S 10 | S 10 | S 9 | SSE 10 | ENE 5 | NE 5 | NE 5 | ENE 7 |
2039 | 1229 | 771 | 780 | 830 | 2637 | 2485 | 1309 | 852 | 551 | 333 | 127 | 92 | 42 | 31 | 14 | 17 | 9 | 21 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | S 12 | SSW 13 | SE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ENE 6 | ESE 11 |
590 | 458 | 341 | 230 | 184 | 177 | 113 | 107 | 82 | 68 | 44 | 70 | 58 | 33 | 23 | 23 | 10 | 8 | 11 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | S 19 | ESE 12 | — | — | — | — | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 9 | ENE 7 | ESE 11 | S 9 |
— | — | — | — | 184 | 177 | — | — | — | — | 44 | 43 | 20 | 33 | 29 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 6 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSW 4 | S 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | NE 5 | NNE 5 | — | — |
— | — | 18 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 29 | 57 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 40 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 61 | 0 | 2 | 61 | 6 | 61 | 190 | 6 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Hawkes Bay | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Information about the Waimarama Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Waimarama provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Waimarama can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Waimarama 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 (Waimarama) 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 Waimarama 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.
Waimarama is 25 km (16 miles) from the city of Hastings. If you plan a holiday in Hawkes Bay, look for hotels and other accommodation in Hastings. Hastings has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










