Surf Forecasts:
Wharariki Beach surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 15s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 15s period, W swell with 5,394 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 14s period with W swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Wharariki Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Wharariki Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) at 12AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 4s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Wharariki Beach in the next 16 days are 3.5m 15s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 5s period and expected on Friday (Aug 21) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wharariki Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s going down at Wharariki Beach for the next couple of weeks.
The first real shot of surf hits on Thursday morning, 20 August – and it’s a ripper. We’ve got a 3ft swell from the west with a long 14-second period, proper groundswell. Water temp is about average for this time of year at 57°. The wind is light from the SSW at 6 mph, blowing cross-offshore, so the waves will be clean and lined up. The combined energy is moderate (411), so there’s some push. Crowds are never an issue here, so it’s your standout session – glassy and empty.
Thursday afternoon the wind swings west and picks up to 16 mph, going cross-shore and choppy. The swell drops a little and the quality goes south, so stick to the morning.
Friday morning, 21 August, still has clean waves thanks to a WSW wind at 12 mph cross-off, but the swell is smaller at 3ft with a very long period of 16 seconds. The sets will be spaced out, but shape should be good. Energy is moderate (328). Worth a look if you missed Thursday.
Friday afternoon and Saturday are blown out – winds up to 28 mph and 22 mph – making a mess of things. Saturday morning has small waves but the wind is cross or cross-on, so not worth it.
Sunday 23 August is a no-go for surfing. 12ft of swell from the west, but the wind is howling at 34 mph – near gale force. That’s dangerous and blown out. If you’re into kite surfing, that cross-shore wind might be fun, but for paddle surfing, stay on the sand.
Monday 24 August brings a massive 10ft west swell with a 15-second period – that’s a lot of water. The wind is cross-off from the WSW at 22 mph in the morning, so it’s clean, but this is strictly for experts only. Over 8ft, it’s too big for most. The energy is extreme (4413 in the morning). Unless you’re charging, sit this one out.
The rest of the week from Tuesday 25 August through the end of the month is a mix of moderate to strong winds, mostly cross or cross-on, with swell sizes bouncing between 2ft and 8ft. Nothing stands out. A few clean windows are either too small or too windy.
Saturday 29 August shows a shift in swell direction to the NW and NNW, with 7ft swell and a shorter period of 9 seconds. The wind is cross-off from the ESE at 28 mph, keeping the surface clean, but the quality is marginal. Energy is moderate (1110). Not a standout, but maybe worth a check.
Early September sees a couple of bigger swells on the 2nd and 3rd – 10ft from the NNW on Wednesday afternoon (2 Sep) and 7ft from the NNW on Thursday morning (3 Sep). The wind is cross-off and light to moderate, so the surf will be clean, but that 10ft is only for experts. Thursday 3 Sep afternoon has 6ft from the west with a 16-second period and a light 12 mph WSW cross-off – that’s a solid, clean session for strong intermediates. Energy is high (2091).
The big standout is Thursday morning, 20 August – clean, chest-high west swell, light offshore wind, and nobody else out. That’s the one to mark. The 3rd of September also looks good for those who can handle a bit of size.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat afternoon, min 9°C on Thu morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the WSW on Thu night, near gales from the NW by Sat night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Sun morning, min 11°C on Sun afternoon). Winds decreasing (near gales from the W on Sun morning, fresh winds from the WSW by Mon morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | |||||||||||||||
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) | W 14 | W 14 | W 14 | W 16 | NW 15 | W 14 | W 14 | W 13 | NW 7 | WNW 10 | W 10 | W 11 | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | W 14 | W 14 | W 14 | WNW 6 | W 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
411 | 324 | 236 | 314 | 9 | 4 | 93 | 119 | 1063 | 2149 | 2770 | 3255 | 4372 | 3371 | 2474 | 2338 | 1472 | 1115 | 617 | 490 | 289 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 3:09PM2.59m | 3:31AM2.47m | 4:09PM2.44m | 4:39AM2.33m | 5:24PM2.37m | 5:58AM2.31m | 6:40PM2.42m | 7:09AM2.40m | 7:41PM2.57m | 8:05AM2.55m | 8:29PM2.75m | 8:49AM2.73m | 9:09PM2.94m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:24PM0.93m | 9:51AM0.95m | 10:28PM1.08m | 11:00AM1.06m | 11:45PM1.12m | 12:16PM1.05m | 00:58AM1.04m | 1:22PM0.93m | 1:56AM0.88m | 2:13PM0.76m | 2:42AM0.68m | 2:56PM0.57m | |||||||||
7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | |
— | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Temp °C | 11 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 |
Feels °C | 8 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 1 | -1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 14 | W 14 | W 14 | W 16 | NW 15 | N 4 | W 14 | W 13 | — | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NW 12 | W 15 | WNW 15 | WNW 15 | WNW 15 | — | NW 14 | W 14 | — | NNW 7 |
411 | 324 | 236 | 314 | 9 | 1 | 93 | 119 | — | 270 | 115 | 158 | 4372 | 148 | 87 | 45 | — | 8 | 617 | — | 120 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 4 | WNW 4 | — | W 14 | N 6 | W 20 | — | — | — | N 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 9 | NW 6 | — | — | W 9 | — | — | W 13 |
— | — | 7 | 4 | — | 4 | 1 | 30 | — | — | — | 46 | 41 | 8 | 10 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 289 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 18 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 64 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | W 4 | W 5 | W 5 | W 4 | NW 5 | NW 7 | WNW 10 | W 10 | W 11 | — | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | W 14 | W 14 | NW 5 | WNW 6 | W 8 |
— | — | — | 10 | 154 | 112 | 40 | 73 | 1063 | 2149 | 2770 | 3255 | — | 3371 | 2474 | 2338 | 1472 | 1115 | 35 | 490 | 191 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 163 | 0 | 111 | 152 | 111 | 111 | 196 | 215 | 211 | 220 | 196 | 95 | 152 | 111 | 97 | 97 | 152 | 97 | 97 | 187 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Nelson - West Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Wharariki Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Wharariki Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Wharariki Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Wharariki Beach 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 (Wharariki Beach) 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 Wharariki Beach 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 Nelson - West Coast? If you are looking for accommodation near Wharariki Beach, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Nelson - West Coast, consider staying in Nelson which is 100 km (62 miles) away.











