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Wharariki Beach Surf Forecast
/ Nelson – West Coast (6 surf breaks) /
Surf Forecasts:
Wharariki Beach surfForecast / Nelson – West Coast / New Zealand
16 Day Weather and Surf, issued 5 am Wednesday 20 May 2026 NZSTForecast update in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Wharariki Beach surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.
Today's Wharariki Beach sea temperature is
16.0° C
(Which is slightly warmer than usual)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 (May 22) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Wharariki Beach in the next 16 days are 3.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (May 27) 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 1.2m 5s period and expected on Sunday (May 24) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Fri 22nd May) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Tue 26th May) | 10ft (3.0m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 12AM (Wed 27th May) | 11ft (3.5m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wharariki Beach over the next 16 days.
Updates in hr min s Forecast update imminent
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Thu night. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu night, min 12°C on Wed morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NNW on Thu morning, calm by Fri morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon night, min 13°C on Sat afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 20 | Thursday 21 | Friday 22 | Saturday 23 | Sunday 24 | Monday 25 | Tuesday 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 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
W 13 | W 13 | W 13 | NNW 7 | N 7 | WNW 13 | W 11 | W 10 | NNW 9 | W 14 | W 13 | W 13 | W 18 | W 17 | W 16 | W 14 | W 14 | N 6 | N 7 | N 8 | N 9 | |
125 | 87 | 52 | 277 | 423 | 292 | 307 | 212 | 121 | 405 | 276 | 212 | 509 | 952 | 701 | 333 | 253 | 125 | 254 | 763 | 2004 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
cross | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | |
High Tide | 12:28PM3.19m | 00:55AM3.30m | 1:23PM3.02m | 1:51AM3.14m | 2:22PM2.84m | 2:51AM2.98m | 3:26PM2.70m | 3:55AM2.85m | 4:34PM2.63m | 5:00AM2.77m | 5:39PM2.62m | 6:02AM2.74m | 6:38PM2.67m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:40PM0.18m | 7:15AM0.24m | 7:35PM0.34m | 8:13AM0.40m | 8:33PM0.51m | 9:15AM0.53m | 9:36PM0.64m | 10:20AM0.61m | 10:42PM0.73m | 11:23AM0.64m | 11:47PM0.76m | 12:21PM0.63m | 00:45AM0.73m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | |  |  | |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | |  | |
 | 7:31 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — |
 | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:15 | — | — | 5:14 | — | — | 5:14 | — |
— | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 2 | 2 | 62 | |
Temp °C | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 |
10 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 11 | |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 13 | W 13 | W 13 | W 12 | NW 14 | WNW 13 | W 11 | W 10 | NNW 9 | W 14 | W 13 | W 13 | W 18 | W 17 | W 16 | W 14 | W 14 | W 13 | WSW 12 | WSW 12 | N 9 |
 kJ | 125 | 87 | 52 | 26 | 33 | 253 | 307 | 212 | 121 | 405 | 276 | 212 | 509 | 952 | 701 | 333 | 253 | 125 | 49 | 28 | 1664 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 20 | W 20 | W 19 | W 19 | W 12 | NW 10 | NNW 7 | NW 10 | W 9 | NW 9 | W 5 | NNW 11 | WSW 12 | NNW 11 | NNW 11 | N 9 | — | N 13 | N 13 | W 20 | W 12 |
| kJ | 7 | 8 | 7 | 28 | 11 | 27 | 99 | 115 | 60 | 107 | 11 | 39 | 160 | 40 | 38 | 14 | — | 3 | 3 | 7 | 11 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | NW 16 | W 18 | W 18 | NW 11 | N 7 | W 12 | N 14 | NNW 7 | N 7 | NNW 10 | WNW 17 | WNW 16 | ENE 4 | — | N 12 | — | — | W 18 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 10 | 24 | 24 | 114 | 32 | 95 | 4 | 15 | 8 | 36 | 29 | 25 | 1 | — | 3 | — | — | 24 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 2 | NW 2 | N 5 | NNW 7 | N 7 | NNW 7 | ESE 3 | ESE 5 | — | NW 4 | — | E 5 | E 5 | ESE 4 | E 4 | — | NNW 4 | N 6 | N 7 | N 8 | N 9 |
| kJ | 1 | 1 | 50 | 277 | 423 | 292 | 2 | 23 | — | 18 | — | 49 | 61 | 26 | 9 | — | 24 | 116 | 254 | 763 | 2004 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 11 | 20 | 111 | 97 | 86 | 95 | 0 | 11 | 111 | 111 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 20 | 0 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 86 | 95 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Nelson - West Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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 Wharariki Beach 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 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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