Wharariki Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 40.51° S 172.67° E

Wharariki Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 pm 28 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Wharariki Beach sea temperature is
13.8°C
0.8° 

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 28 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 31 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, W swell with 5,347 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s 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 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 24s. 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 3.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 31) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 29) at 3PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 9AM (Tue 1st Sep)11ft (3.5m) 13s
Best Surf 9AM (Tue 1st Sep)11ft (3.5m) 13s
Most Powerful 6PM (Mon 31st Aug)11ft (3.5m) 14s

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


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve had a good stare at the charts for Wharariki Beach, and I’ll be straight with you – it’s a frustrating run ahead. For the next 16 days, there’s no real window of quality surf. We’re looking at a blank spell that stretches for days on end, with only a couple of fleeting, marginal moments that don’t really stack up. The ocean’s just not playing ball for paddle surfing.

Right now, starting Friday the 28th of August, it’s a write-off. We’ve got a 13ft swell thumping in from the NNW, but with a strong 28 mph cross-onshore breeze, it’s a total mess out there. The combined energy is a hefty 2675 – that’s strong, but completely unsurfable in these conditions. That theme sticks around.

Saturday the 29th offers a brief glimmer in the morning – a drop to 5ft from the west, with a clean cross-off wind. But the swell period is a short 9 seconds and the combined energy is weak (692), so it’s just not got any grunt. The afternoon gets even smaller and cleaner, but at 1ft with a 20-second period, it’s too small to ride.

Sunday the 30th has a 7ft groundswell in the morning from the west, period 17 seconds (very long period), combined energy moderate at 2423, and clean cross-off wind. It’s the first day that looks interesting, but the forecast score says it’s still marginal due to tide and swell size. The afternoon picks up to 8ft (3663 energy), but the wind jumps to a near gale at 34 mph – blown out.

Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 1st of September see the swell push up to 12ft to 10ft from the west, with very long periods (13-15 seconds). The combined energy is strong to very strong (3309 to 4869). The wind is cross-off and clean. But here’s the thing: the forecast flat-out says it’s too big for this break. 12ft waves at Wharariki? That’s expert territory, and even then, the conditions are just too heavy for a proper session. Not recommended for anyone.

From Wednesday the 2nd of September through to Monday the 7th of September, it’s a consistent run of poor conditions – messy cross-onshore winds, big swells hitting 8ft to 12ft, and no clean windows. The combined energy remains strong (1683 to 4869), but the wind keeps blowing it out. On Wednesday the 2nd, there’s a 7ft to 8ft west swell with a long 14-second period and clean wind, but the energy is still moderate (1907) and the overall call is poor.

Then, on Wednesday the 9th of September, we get the one real standout of the whole outlook. In the morning, the wind dies right off – a light southerly breeze at just 3 mph, glassy offshore. Swell is a clean 7ft from the west, period 12 seconds (good groundswell), combined energy moderate (1504). The forecast says excellent conditions for experienced surfers. The afternoon holds up with a light east-southeast cross-off at 6 mph, swell 7ft but period drops to 9 seconds (short period), energy weak (804). The morning session is the pick. Keep in mind, at over 5ft it’s too big for beginners.

The rest of the fortnight is a mess again – strong winds, lumpy cross-chop, and big swells (10ft on the 10th and 12th of September) that are too big for the break. The 11th of September has a 8ft to 7ft west swell with moderate energy and clean wind, but it’s only rated as marginal.

So, the bottom line: Wharariki Beach is a consistent spot that normally offers up plenty of fun, but this forecast run is a dud. There’s one shot on Wednesday the 9th of September morning – that’s your best chance for clean, powerful waves. For the rest? Honestly, the setup looks more interesting for the kite crew than paddle surfing, with those strong cross-off winds and solid swell days. Hold tight and hope the charts change.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Fri afternoon, min 10°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (fresh winds from the W on Fri night, gales from the WSW by Sun night).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu morning, min 9°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (gales from the WSW on Mon night, moderate winds from the SW by Tue night).

Fri
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
Tuesday
1
Wednesday
2
Thursday
3
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
!
!
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
4
NNW
10
2.1
NNW
9
1.6
W
9
0.4
WNW
20
1.8
W
18
2
W
17
2.5
W
16
3.5
W
9
3.5
W
14
3.5
W
15
4.5
W
10
3.5
W
13
3
W
14
2.3
W
14
2.2
W
14
2.3
W
14
1.9
W
15
1.6
WNW
8
1.9
WNW
14
1.3
W
14
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
2675
686
417
135
2211
2381
3658
1947
4444
4869
3574
4102
3264
2066
1875
2185
1611
333
1419
691
Wind (km/h)
40
NW
35
WSW
45
WSW
45
WSW
50
WSW
45
WSW
55
WSW
65
WSW
50
WSW
55
W
70
WSW
45
SW
45
WSW
25
SW
45
WSW
45
WSW
35
WNW
40
WNW
40
WNW
30
WNW
Wind State
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-on
High Tide
10:20PM3.24m
10:38AM3.16m
10:54PM3.33m
11:13AM3.23m
11:28PM3.36m
11:49AM3.25m
00:04AM3.32m
12:26PM3.21m
00:43AM3.23m
1:07PM3.11m
1:26AM3.07m
1:53PM2.97m
2:16AM2.88m
Low Tide
4:33AM0.16m
4:45PM0.16m
5:07AM0.07m
5:20PM0.12m
5:42AM0.05m
5:57PM0.14m
6:19AM0.09m
6:36PM0.21m
6:59AM0.20m
7:19PM0.35m
7:43AM0.36m
8:08PM0.52m
mod rain
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:58
6:56
6:54
6:54
6:52
6:50
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:00
6:01
6:02
6:04
6:05
6:06
6:07
 mm
8
1
1
1
2
3
Temp °C
13
13
12
13
12
13
13
12
11
12
12
11
12
10
12
13
14
15
15
15
Feels °C
5
7
2
3
3
5
3
1
0
0
-2
3
2
3
1
5
7
8
8
9
  • 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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