- Forecast
- Maps
- Live
- Weather State
- Spot Information
Waipaoa River Surf Forecast
/ Gisborne and Mahia (37 surf breaks) /
Surf Forecasts:
Waipaoa River surfForecast / Gisborne and Mahia / New Zealand
16 Day Weather and Surf, issued 5 pm Saturday 23 May 2026 NZSTForecast update in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Waipaoa River surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.
Today's Waipaoa River sea temperature is
15.3° C
(Which is 1.0°C colder than average for this time of year)Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Waipaoa River this week:
The surf forecast for Waipaoa River over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (May 24) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Waipaoa River in the next 16 days are 2.2m 17s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (May 30) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (May 26) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Sun 24th May) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 12AM (Sat 30th May) | 7ft (2.1m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Sat 30th May) | 7ft (2.2m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Waipaoa River over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat afternoon, min 9°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu morning, min 9°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sat 23 | Sunday 24 | Monday 25 | Tuesday 26 | Wednesday 27 | Thursday 28 | Friday 29 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 17 | SSE 15 | SSE 16 | SSE 17 | SSE 16 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 17 | SSE 16 | SSE 15 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | SSE 14 | SSE 16 | SSE 16 | SSE 17 | SSE 15 | |
62 | 78 | 219 | 408 | 518 | 627 | 706 | 487 | 326 | 257 | 167 | 399 | 1908 | 1496 | 799 | 514 | 545 | 1036 | 938 | 2523 | 1781 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | |
High Tide | 11:45PM1.61m | 12:16PM1.45m | 00:41AM1.54m | 1:13PM1.41m | 1:35AM1.48m | 2:09PM1.38m | 2:28AM1.42m | 3:02PM1.37m | 3:18AM1.38m | 3:52PM1.38m | 4:07AM1.36m | 4:38PM1.39m | 4:54AM1.35m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:27PM0.10m | 6:06AM0.11m | 6:23PM0.16m | 7:01AM0.15m | 7:19PM0.22m | 7:55AM0.18m | 8:14PM0.27m | 8:46AM0.22m | 9:08PM0.31m | 9:34AM0.24m | 9:59PM0.32m | 10:21AM0.26m | 10:48PM0.33m | 11:06AM0.26m | |||||||
 |  |  |  |  | | |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:15 |
 | 4:59 | — | — | 4:59 | — | — | 4:58 | — | — | 4:57 | — | — | 4:57 | — | — | 4:55 | — | — | 4:55 | — | 4:54 |
— | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Temp °C | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 14 |
13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 9 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 13 | |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 5 | SSE 15 | SSE 16 | SSE 17 | SSE 16 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | SSE 13 | SSE 12 | SSE 6 | SSE 16 | SSE 15 | SSE 14 | SSE 13 | SSE 14 | SSE 16 | SSE 16 | SSE 17 | SSE 15 |
 kJ | 62 | 78 | 17 | 408 | 518 | 627 | 706 | 487 | 326 | 257 | 167 | 58 | 1908 | 1496 | 799 | 514 | 545 | 1036 | 938 | 2523 | 1781 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 10 | ENE 9 | SSE 17 | SE 5 | SE 5 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | E 11 | SSE 6 | SSE 17 | E 10 | E 11 | E 11 | E 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SSE 5 | S 17 | E 9 |
| kJ | 32 | 48 | 219 | 25 | 25 | 73 | 73 | 52 | 55 | 61 | 34 | 399 | 34 | 37 | 36 | 34 | 18 | 8 | 21 | 1526 | 6 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | E 12 | ENE 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SE 6 | — | ENE 3 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | E 11 | SSE 12 | NNE 9 | — | NNE 8 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NE 9 | E 10 | ENE 9 | NE 11 |
| kJ | 20 | 12 | 82 | 74 | 75 | 17 | — | 1 | 23 | 6 | 58 | 119 | 16 | — | 6 | 16 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 5 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 5 | — | SSE 5 | SSE 5 | — | — | — | NE 3 | — | SSW 3 | S 6 | S 7 | — | NNE 9 | NW 2 | — | — | SW 4 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 2 | — | 32 | 37 | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | 68 | 113 | — | 15 | 2 | — | — | 3 | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 31 | 0 | 60 | 40 | 39 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Gisborne and Mahia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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)
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 Waipaoa River 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 Waipaoa River Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Waipaoa River provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Waipaoa River can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Waipaoa River 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 (Waipaoa River) 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 Waipaoa River 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 Waipaoa River, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Gisborne and Mahia, consider staying in Gisborne which is 7 km (4 miles) away.
Nearest