Surf Forecasts:
Wharariki Beach surf forecast from 31 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 14s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 15s period, W swell with 7,004 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 12PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 12PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 2.4m and 14s. 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 4.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 9AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 12PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 12PM (Tue 1st Sep) | 10ft (3.0m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 9AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wharariki Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m gonna be straight with you—this sixteen-day stretch for Wharariki Beach is a bumpy ride, and for the first week, it’s pretty much a write-off unless you’re into punishment. The start is grim, but there are a couple of windows that will get the heart pumping, especially for the crew with some experience under their belt.
The first recommendation doesn’t show up until Saturday the 5th, and even that’s only marginal. The first week is hammered by strong to near-gale winds out of the west and southwest, whipping up a messy cross-shore chop. The swell is all over the place—big, energetic, but blown to bits. You’ll see the swell heights from 10ft to 13ft early on, with energy readings off the charts, but the conditions are just poor. It’s more of a kite-surfing show than a paddle session.
Then we get a bit of a reprieve. On Monday the 7th, the morning brings a clean, cross-off wind with a solid 13ft swell out of the west, period at 15 seconds. The energy is enormous. But here’s the thing: that’s too big for the average punter. It's expert territory only. The water temp is about average for this time of year.
The real standout, the one to circle on the calendar, is Thursday the 10th. The afternoon session is the pick of the whole outlook. You’ve got an 8ft west swell with a very long period of 19 seconds, bringing serious grunt and shape. The wind drops to a near-calm 5 km/h from the NNW, giving you glassy, cross-off conditions. The report says “exceptional surf conditions for expert surfers.” This is a groundswell with that long period, meaning it’ll be best if you’re hitting the reefs or points, as it might wall up a bit straight at a beach break. Crowds aren’t mentioned, so you might have it to yourself. Friday the 11th morning is also clean with a 6ft swell, but Thursday afternoon is the one.
After that, the second week falls away. Friday the 11th afternoon and Saturday the 12th have clean-ish cross-off winds, but the wind picks up again, and the quality drops to marginal. From Sunday the 13th onward, it’s back to poor conditions with fresh cross-shore winds and lumpy chop, with a few rainy days thrown in. The long-range stuff just never comes together.
So, to sum it up: the first week is a battle with the wind, and the second week fizzles. Your best bet is Thursday the 10th afternoon—cloudy skies, glassy wind, and a powerful, long-period west swell. That’s the one to chase if you’ve got the skill.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu morning, min 10°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (near gales from the WSW on Mon night, fresh winds from the WNW by Thu afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 30mm), heaviest during Sun morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu night, min 12°C on Fri afternoon). Winds increasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Sat morning, near gales from the NNW by Sun morning). | ||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | ||||||||||||||
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 13 | W 14 | W 14 | W 14 | W 17 | W 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | W 14 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | W 10 | W 14 | W 14 | W 15 | W 17 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 5040 | 3376 | 2817 | 2558 | 3164 | 412 | 410 | 445 | 334 | 503 | 1985 | 1665 | 1690 | 2946 | 2694 | 2647 | 1820 | 2376 | 2637 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 00:04AM3.32m | 12:26PM3.21m | 00:43AM3.23m | 1:07PM3.11m | 1:26AM3.07m | 1:53PM2.97m | 2:16AM2.88m | 2:49PM2.81m | 3:19AM2.69m | 4:00PM2.68m | 4:39AM2.57m | 5:25PM2.66m | |||||||
Low Tide | 6:19AM0.09m | 6:36PM0.21m | 6:59AM0.20m | 7:19PM0.35m | 7:43AM0.36m | 8:08PM0.52m | 8:36AM0.55m | 9:09PM0.70m | 9:42AM0.72m | 10:25PM0.81m | 11:02AM0.80m | 11:50PM0.79m | |||||||
 |  | |  | | |  | |  | |  | | | | |  |  | | | |
 | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — |
 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:09 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | 9 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 13 | 4 | 1 |
Temp °C | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
Feels °C | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 14 | W 14 | W 22 | WNW 15 | WNW 14 | — | — | — | W 14 | W 14 | — | N 8 | WNW 15 | NNW 8 | — | W 15 | W 17 | — | NNW 8 |
| kJ | 284 | 2633 | 36 | 21 | 20 | — | — | — | 203 | 503 | — | 195 | 365 | 59 | — | 2647 | 1820 | — | 212 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | W 20 | NW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 10 | NW 14 | — | NNW 8 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 8 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 47 | 103 | — | 13 | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 13 | W 14 | W 14 | W 14 | W 17 | W 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | NW 7 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | W 10 | W 14 | W 14 | WNW 5 | NW 7 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 |
| kJ | 5040 | 3376 | 2817 | 2558 | 3164 | 412 | 410 | 445 | 334 | 363 | 1985 | 1665 | 1690 | 2946 | 2694 | 64 | 743 | 2376 | 2637 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 152 | 152 | 152 | 152 | 111 | 196 | 152 | 111 | 97 | 97 | 220 | 196 | 97 | 196 | 111 | 111 | 331 | 86 | 196 |
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.
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