Surf Forecasts:
Wainui Beach - Schools surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 11s period, S swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 11s period, S swell with 6,459 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 11s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Wainui Beach - Schools this week:
The surf forecast for Wainui Beach - Schools over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 2.3m and 11s. Another secondary swell of 1.6m and 9s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-shore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Wainui Beach - Schools in the next 16 days are 5.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 2s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 6AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 3PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 16ft (5.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wainui Beach - Schools over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, listen up. We’ve got a solid slug of size and power coming in right now, but it’s going to shut the place down before it gets good. The water’s a touch cold for this time of year, about a degree below normal, so don't forget the booties.
We’re talking Wainui Beach - Schools, a beach and reef break that’s got plenty of poke. The first few days are for the brave or the foolish. Tuesday the 18th starts with a big 10-foot S swell, and there’s a ton of energy behind it, but that cross-shore wind is going to make it lumpy and heavy. It’s a full-on expert wave. Wednesday the 19th is even bigger, pushing 11-12 feet from the SSE. That’s just too much. The wind is howling cross-shore, and the ocean is just a mess of whitewater. Thursday is still too big and bumpy to be any fun.
Then, just like that, the ocean switches it up. Friday the 21st is your day. The swell backs off to a tiny 3 feet, but the period is a long 16 seconds, and the wind is light and offshore from the northwest. It’s going to be glassy, clean, and perfect. This is the one. This is a proper morning session.
Saturday the 22nd is still clean and rideable at about 3 feet, but the magic is gone. Then we go dead flat from Sunday the 23rd all the way through Wednesday the 26th. There’s nothing but dribble and no energy. It's a proper lull.
The week after, we get some life back. Thursday the 28th has a clean 4-5 foot wave in the morning with light winds, but the period is short, so it’ll be a bit walled. The afternoons turn onshore and chop it up.
The real standout for the second week looks like Tuesday the 1st of September. A clean 3-foot swell with a long 15-second period and light winds. It’s a promising call, but it’s a week and a half away, so we’ll keep our fingers crossed. The following morning, Wednesday the 2nd, also has a good look to it, with clean conditions and a solid 3-4 foot swell.
So, the plan is simple. Get on it Friday morning. That’s the standout. It’s going to be worth the wait.
-Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Tue night. Very mild (max 12°C on Thu morning, min 7°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SW on Tue night, light winds from the W by Thu night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat afternoon, min 9°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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 | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | SSE 10 | S 11 | SSE 11 | S 11 | SSE 15 | SE 9 | S 8 | SSE 8 | SSE 16 | SSE 16 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | ESE 12 | SSE 9 | SSE 13 | SSE 15 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1342 | 1283 | 6459 | 2779 | 3021 | 811 | 637 | 612 | 190 | 371 | 513 | 189 | 164 | 115 | 79 | 42 | 33 | 15 | 65 | 127 | 222 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | off | off | cross | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off |
High Tide | 10:02AM2.01m | 10:22PM2.02m | 10:47AM1.96m | 11:06PM1.95m | 11:32AM1.90m | 11:48PM1.87m | 12:17PM1.84m | 00:30AM1.79m | 1:01PM1.78m | 1:14AM1.71m | 1:46PM1.73m | 2:05AM1.65m | 2:36PM1.70m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:11PM0.52m | 4:39AM0.51m | 4:56PM0.58m | 5:24AM0.56m | 5:42PM0.65m | 6:09AM0.62m | 6:28PM0.72m | 6:53AM0.69m | 7:17PM0.77m | 7:38AM0.75m | 8:09PM0.81m | 8:27AM0.80m | 9:07PM0.83m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — |
 | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — |
mm | — | 1 | 7 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 13 |
Feels °C | 1 | -1 | -1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 9 | E 11 | SSE 12 | SE 14 | SSE 11 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | ESE 11 | SSE 16 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 11 | SSE 11 | SSE 10 | SE 10 | S 6 | SSE 9 | SSE 13 | SSE 15 |
| kJ | 651 | 9 | 2981 | 47 | 1348 | 580 | 502 | 299 | 190 | 183 | 513 | 189 | 164 | 115 | 79 | 42 | 25 | 7 | 65 | 127 | 222 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 14 | E 18 | — | — | ESE 9 | SSE 15 | SSE 14 | ESE 9 | ESE 9 | SSE 16 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 13 | SSE 10 | SSE 15 | SSE 8 | ESE 12 |
| kJ | 41 | 6 | — | — | 389 | 811 | 189 | 116 | 124 | 371 | 135 | 81 | 33 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 33 | 10 | 44 | 41 | 15 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | SSE 16 | — | SE 11 | SSE 13 | SSE 17 | SSE 9 | — | SSE 16 | E 15 | ESE 14 | ESE 8 | — | — | ESE 12 | ESE 13 | SSE 15 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 357 | — | 43 | 101 | 58 | 82 | — | 97 | 5 | 19 | 7 | — | — | 15 | 16 | 77 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 9 | SSE 10 | S 11 | SSE 11 | S 11 | S 10 | S 8 | S 8 | — | — | — | NNE 3 | WNW 3 | — | NW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 1342 | 1283 | 6459 | 2779 | 3021 | 786 | 637 | 612 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 116 | 336 | 122 | 119 | 119 | 13 | 50 | 119 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gisborne and Mahia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Wainui Beach - Schools Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Wainui Beach - Schools provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Wainui Beach - Schools can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Wainui Beach - Schools 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 (Wainui Beach - Schools) 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 Wainui Beach - Schools 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 Gisborne and Mahia? If you are looking for accommodation near Wainui Beach - Schools, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Gisborne and Mahia, consider staying in Gisborne which is 9 km (6 miles) away.
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