Wharariki Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 40.51° S 172.67° E

Wharariki Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 pm 14 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Wharariki Beach sea temperature is
14.6° C
1.0° 

Wharariki Beach surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Wharariki Beach surf forecast from 14 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 18 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 18s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 16 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 16s period, WNW swell with 3,216 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 18 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 18s 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 Saturday (Jul 18) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 18s period with a secondary swell of 1.3m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Wharariki Beach in the next 16 days are 2.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 16) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 5s period and expected on Monday (Jul 20) at 3AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6PM (Sat 18th Jul)4.5ft (1.4m) 18s
Best Surf 6PM (Sat 18th Jul)4.5ft (1.4m) 18s
Most Powerful 3AM (Thu 16th Jul)8ft (2.5m) 16s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wharariki Beach over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

G'day, Rusty here, and I've got the gen on the local waves for the next couple of weeks. Honestly, it's a bit of a mixed bag, but there's a couple of sessions that'll get your heart pumping.

We kick off with a solid pulse of west swell rolling into Wharariki Beach from Wednesday the 15th of July. The swell is pushing a proper 8 ft with a very long 16-second period, which means deep, powerful groundswell lines. The combined energy is massive, sitting at 2992, so there's plenty of grunt. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual there. The downside is that the wind is cross-shore, so expect a bit of chop. It's an exposed beach, so those long-period waves could be a bit straight and tricky to line up, but for the experienced crew, there's some serious size to be had. The swell is over 8 ft, so this is definitely for the experts only.

Thursday the 16th of July holds more size, still around 7 ft, and the wind swings cross-offshore, cleaning it right up. The energy is still strong at 2157, but the 28 mph winds are a factor, making it a raw and powerful day. Same story for Friday the 17th; the swell eases a touch to 5 ft in the morning, but with a light cross-offshore breeze and a long 15-second period, it'll be clean and lined up. The morning session on Friday morning looks like a standout for the intermediate crew, with a manageable 5 ft and clean conditions. The energy is still moderate at 1007.

Then Saturday the 18th of July gets messy again with strong winds, but the wind state is clean, so the swell might be holding up. The swell is a bit jumbled with a 3 ft, 19-second period in the afternoon, which is very long period, so points and reefs would be best, but we're looking at a beach here.

The following week from Monday the 20th of July onward sees the swell drop off significantly. Monday afternoon shows a small 3 ft swell with a light 6 mph breeze and clean conditions, labelled as "expect good surf conditions", which is promising for a small wave board. The energy is weak at 418.

There's a real lull from the 21st of July through to the 24th of July, with waves dropping to under 3 ft and very weak energy. Not much on offer there.

Things start to build again from Saturday the 25th of July. The swell picks up to 4 ft with a long 17-second period, and the wind is clean cross-offshore. The energy is moderate at 716. The best of the second week looks like Tuesday the 28th of July. The afternoon session shows a 10 ft swell from the NW, but it's a short 8-second period, so it's a big, lumpy, windswell. The wind is a strong 28 mph cross-offshore, and the file says it's too big for this break. This is expert-only territory, and it might be more of a kite-surfing show than a paddling session given the size and wind.

The real standout is tough to pick because of the conditions. For the first week, Friday the 17th of July morning is the best bet for clean, solid waves. For the second week, Saturday the 25th of July morning offers a nice, clean long-period swell as the next best option. The later part of the month has size, but it's either too windy, too big, or too short period.

Rusty out.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue night, min 10°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the W on Tue night, strong winds from the WSW by Thu night).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Some drizzle, heaviest during Sun morning. Very mild (max 12°C on Sat afternoon, min 9°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WSW on Fri night, calm by Mon afternoon).

Wednesday
15
Thursday
16
Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tue
21
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Rating
(10 max)
1
3
2
0
1
1
1
3
2
2
0
1
4
1
1
1
1
2
2
0
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.7
W
12
2.4
W
16
2.4
W
16
2.4
WNW
16
2.1
W
15
1.9
W
15
2
W
15
1.4
W
15
1.8
W
15
1.4
W
15
2.3
W
15
1
W
19
1.4
W
17
1.5
W
16
1.4
W
16
1.2
W
15
1
W
14
1
W
14
0.8
W
13
0.7
W
13
0.7
W
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
870
2948
2789
2678
2098
1576
1735
869
1472
876
2341
693
1169
1149
964
606
405
383
225
166
161
Wind (km/h)
30
W
15
WNW
25
W
40
WNW
40
WSW
40
WSW
40
SW
20
SSW
25
WSW
30
SW
50
WSW
35
WSW
5
NNE
25
E
30
ESE
30
ESE
20
ESE
10
ESE
5
SSE
5
WNW
10
WSW
Wind State
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-on
cross-off
High Tide
9:59PM3.40m
10:24AM3.27m
10:49PM3.49m
11:14AM3.30m
11:37PM3.52m
12:01PM3.28m
00:23AM3.46m
12:47PM3.19m
1:08AM3.33m
1:33PM3.07m
1:53AM3.14m
2:19PM2.91m
2:38AM2.93m
3:08PM2.75m
Low Tide
4:16AM0.07m
4:35PM0.02m
5:06AM-0.01m
5:23PM-0.01m
5:54AM-0.03m
6:10PM0.03m
6:40AM0.03m
6:55PM0.14m
7:25AM0.16m
7:41PM0.30m
8:10AM0.33m
8:28PM0.50m
8:57AM0.52m
rain showers
clear
part cloud
thunderstorm
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
cloud
part cloud
light rain
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:48
7:48
7:48
7:47
7:46
7:46
7:45
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:21
5:22
5:22
5:22
5:23
5:24
5:25
 mm
1
7
1
Temp °C
15
15
15
15
13
13
12
11
13
10
11
12
12
11
11
11
9
9
10
11
12
Feels °C
8
11
10
10
5
4
3
7
8
5
1
5
10
5
4
4
4
6
9
9
10
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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