
Surf Forecasts:
Wharariki Beach surf forecast from 30 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 30 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s period, NW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 31 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 14s period, W swell with 5,289 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 30 Jul, 9PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s period with NW 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 Thursday (Jul 30) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 8s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-shore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Wharariki Beach in the next 16 days are 4.0m 14s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 31) at 9PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 02) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Thu 30th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Thu 30th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 9PM (Fri 31st Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wharariki Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the menu for Wharariki Beach over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the first few days are a write-off. Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st are getting hammered by strong winds, making a mess of things. Thursday’s got a 3ft to 2ft swell from the west but the wind is on it, and the combined energy is weak to moderate (440). Friday the 31st actually sees a spike in size – 10ft to 13ft – but the wind is howling near gale force. That’s expert-only territory, if it’s even rideable, and the wave comment says poor. Not worth the paddle out.
We finally get a bit of a window on Saturday the 1st of August. The morning starts clear with a light easterly breeze, but the swell is a solid 7ft from the west with a nice, long 13-second period. The combined energy is strong (1711). The wind is side-shore though, so it’ll be a bit crossed up. It’s marginal. The afternoon drops to 5ft, still with a decent 12-second period, but the wind turns light onshore. It’s not the cleanest, but it’s the best we’ve seen in a few days.
Now, Sunday the 2nd of August is where it gets interesting. The morning is a beauty. The sky is clear, and we’ve got a light offshore breeze from the SSE. The swell is a clean 3ft from the west, with a 12-second period and a combined energy of 250. The report says "expect good surf conditions," and with that offshore wind, it’s going to be clean. This is a solid pick for a fun, longboard session.
The real standout, though, is Tuesday the 4th of August. The morning is clear with a light, cross-offshore breeze from the SSW. The swell is 5ft from the west, with a long 16-second period. The combined energy is strong (1506), and the report is calling it "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers." That long period means it’ll have some punch, but it’s not too big for an intermediate. The afternoon is even better – the wind goes glassy, and the swell settles to 4ft from the west with a 15-second period. That’s clean, lined-up waves. If you can get out there, this is the best of the run.
The rest of the week after that is a bit of a mixed bag. The swell drops off, and the wind is mostly side-offshore or strong, so the quality isn’t there. The runs from the 7th through the 14th are all small, with poor surf conditions forecast. The water temperature is sitting at 57°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Bottom line: The weekend is a slow start. Sunday morning is a good bet for a clean, small-wave session. But Tuesday the 4th is your day – glassy conditions, good energy, and long-period swell. Get on it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 23mm), heaviest during Thu night. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu afternoon, min 7°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (near gales from the W on Fri afternoon, light winds from the NNW by Sat afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Mon morning, min 7°C on Sun morning). Winds decreasing (near gales from the WSW on Mon morning, calm by Tue morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | |||||||||||||||
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 16 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 10 | W 14 | W 13 | W 12 | W 12 | W 12 | W 9 | W 20 | W 18 | W 17 | W 16 | W 16 | W 15 | W 14 | W 13 | W 13 | W 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
239 | 178 | 1210 | 1464 | 3046 | 4260 | 1659 | 690 | 325 | 220 | 74 | 1778 | 3462 | 3805 | 638 | 1106 | 720 | 489 | 222 | 166 | 68 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | on | cross |
High Tide | 10:29AM2.95m | 10:48PM3.14m | 11:05AM3.02m | 11:23PM3.20m | 11:41AM3.06m | 11:57PM3.22m | 12:16PM3.06m | 00:32AM3.20m | 12:54PM3.04m | 1:10AM3.14m | 1:34PM2.98m | 1:51AM3.04m | 2:19PM2.89m | 2:40AM2.91m | |||||||
Low Tide | 4:37PM0.35m | 5:01AM0.32m | 5:12PM0.28m | 5:37AM0.25m | 5:48PM0.25m | 6:12AM0.22m | 6:24PM0.27m | 6:48AM0.24m | 7:02PM0.33m | 7:27AM0.29m | 7:43PM0.43m | 8:11AM0.39m | 8:31PM0.55m | ||||||||
7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | |
— | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | |
mm | 2 | 3 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
Feels °C | 7 | 6 | 5 | 0 | -3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 14 | W 16 | NNE 7 | N 8 | N 8 | NNW 8 | W 13 | W 12 | W 12 | W 12 | W 9 | NW 21 | WNW 19 | WNW 18 | W 16 | W 16 | W 15 | W 14 | W 13 | W 13 | W 15 |
239 | 178 | 84 | 57 | 18 | 82 | 1659 | 690 | 325 | 220 | 74 | 17 | 35 | 31 | 638 | 1106 | 720 | 489 | 222 | 166 | 68 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 18 | W 13 | — | — | — | NW 13 | NW 13 | W 22 | E 5 | W 19 | W 12 | — | NW 8 | — | WNW 17 | W 16 | NW 6 | N 15 | W 18 | ENE 4 | W 9 |
150 | 86 | — | — | — | 183 | 41 | 9 | 24 | 30 | 67 | — | 2 | — | 28 | 396 | 1 | 4 | 25 | 5 | 24 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WSW 8 | — | — | — | — | NW 8 | WNW 13 | W 20 | E 4 | W 19 | — | — | — | NW 11 | — | — | — | N 14 | W 16 | NW 4 |
— | 21 | — | — | — | — | 11 | 18 | 31 | 1 | 61 | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | 4 | 46 | 5 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 5 | NNW 5 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 10 | W 14 | E 4 | E 5 | — | — | — | W 20 | W 18 | W 17 | W 8 | E 3 | E 5 | E 4 | E 4 | — | NNE 4 |
51 | 121 | 1210 | 1464 | 3046 | 4260 | 14 | 28 | — | — | — | 1778 | 3462 | 3805 | 368 | 4 | 38 | 26 | 12 | — | 12 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 95 | 192 | 86 | 97 | 211 | 95 | 95 | 11 | 111 | 0 | 4 | 111 | 196 | 196 | 194 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 119 | 4 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Nelson - West Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
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)
Latest Updates
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.











