
Surf Forecasts:
Wharariki Beach surf forecast from 23 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 25 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 15s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 3PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 14s period, W swell with 6,249 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 25 Jul, 6PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 15s 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 25) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 1.0m and 15s. 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 14s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 26) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Sat 25th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Sat 25th Jul) | 11ft (3.5m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Sat 25th 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 good hard look at what’s coming down the pipe for Wharariki Beach. Gotta be straight with you – we’re in for a wild ride over the next two weeks.
First thing you need to know is the water temp is sitting around 58° which is pretty standard for this time of year, so no thermal surprises there. The setup at Wharariki is an exposed beach that loves a NW swell, and we’ve got a massive window of action, but it comes with a lot of noise.
It kicks off with a bit of a false start. Thursday 23rd and Friday 24th are a write-off – we’ve got a fresh 8 ft to 10 ft swell, but the wind is a total mess, cross-shore and cross-onshore. It’s lumpy, choppy, and just ugly. You’re better off staying home.
Then the real show starts. Saturday 25th is the standout without question. We see a solid 13 ft groundswell from the W with a period of 12-14 seconds – that’s serious energy pumping through (4563 to 6986 combined energy). The wind goes clean cross-off, but here’s the caveat: this is a big, powerful swell. At 13 ft, this isn’t for beginners. It’s more of a show for the experienced crew. The timing looks favorable, and the wind is right, so the wave shape should be there.
Sunday 26th is still on, but it’s a step down. We get a clean 5 ft to 6 ft swell from the W with a long 14-second period. The morning is clean, but the real gem is the Sunday afternoon – glassy conditions with a 5 ft swell (1068 combined energy). That’s a beautiful window for an intermediate surfer who wants some clean, manageable waves. Crowds are never an issue here.
Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th are more of a cruise. The swell drops to 4 ft to 5 ft, but the wind turns light and glassy on Tuesday morning. That 4 ft swell (345 combined energy) with glassy conditions is a great little session for a quieter day.
The middle of the week, Wednesday 29th through Thursday 30th, gets messy again. A fresh 6 ft to 8 ft blow from the W hits with strong cross-shore winds. It’s lumpy and not worth paddling out.
Friday 31st brings a near-gale cross-off wind with a 6 ft swell. Plenty of energy (1084 combined energy) but the wind is just too strong for a nice line-up.
Now, shifting into August, the 1st and 2nd look more promising. Saturday 1st August morning shows a clean 5 ft to 4 ft W swell with a light offshore SSE wind. That’s a real good look – smooth, clean, and a nice long period of 12-13 seconds. The afternoon stays clean and cross-off. This is a solid second-week highlight.
The gap after that is noticeable. From Sunday 2nd August through to Tuesday 4th August, we see a drop in quality. The swell goes small and a bit weak, and the wind picks up again or goes cross. There’s nothing really calling you out.
However, we get a nice little return on Wednesday 5th August afternoon. A 5 ft groundswell from the W with a 17-second period (1321 combined energy) goes glassy. That’s a long-period groundswell – it’ll have some push and shape, but it might break a bit straight at the beach. Still, glassy and 5 ft is a treat.
The last few days, 6th and 7th August, fade out. Small swell, light winds, but nothing special.
Overall, the absolute pick of the bunch is Saturday 25th July for the experienced crowd (big, clean, powerful), and then Sunday 26th afternoon and Wednesday 5th August afternoon for clean, glassy, manageable conditions. Don’t bother paddling out on the 23rd, 24th, 29th, or 30th.
Keep your eyes on the sky.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Thu night. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu night, min 8°C on Sun morning). Winds decreasing (near gales from the WSW on Sat morning, calm by Sun afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Wed morning, min 8°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue morning, strong winds from the WNW by Wed afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | ||||||||||||||
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 | NW 8 | NW 8 | W 17 | W 10 | W 14 | W 15 | W 14 | W 14 | W 13 | W 13 | WNW 12 | W 12 | W 11 | W 5 | W 10 | W 11 | W 14 | WNW 17 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
119 | 1125 | 919 | 464 | 2170 | 6249 | 3185 | 1525 | 1057 | 1034 | 713 | 511 | 327 | 240 | 136 | 106 | 233 | 714 | 2500 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on |
High Tide | 5:25AM2.44m | 6:06PM2.47m | 6:32AM2.42m | 7:10PM2.52m | 7:34AM2.48m | 8:05PM2.63m | 8:26AM2.59m | 8:53PM2.77m | 9:12AM2.72m | 9:35PM2.91m | 9:52AM2.85m | 10:13PM3.04m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:15PM0.99m | 11:45AM0.93m | 00:22AM1.02m | 12:49PM0.93m | 1:25AM0.96m | 1:47PM0.85m | 2:19AM0.85m | 2:37PM0.73m | 3:06AM0.70m | 3:20PM0.59m | 3:47AM0.56m | 4:00PM0.45m | |||||||
— | 7:43 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | 7:41 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | |
mm | 6 | 7 | 1 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 9 |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
Feels °C | 7 | 6 | 7 | 5 | -2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 13 | — | W 13 | NW 8 | NNW 8 | NW 14 | W 15 | W 14 | W 14 | W 13 | W 13 | WNW 12 | W 12 | W 11 | NW 11 | W 6 | W 14 | W 20 | — |
117 | — | 79 | 427 | 68 | 466 | 3185 | 1525 | 1057 | 1034 | 713 | 511 | 327 | 240 | 5 | 44 | 102 | 68 | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 19 | W 17 | N 10 | N 9 | E 4 | NW 14 | E 4 | — | NW 12 | WNW 12 | W 18 | W 16 | — | W 10 | NW 11 | — | — |
— | — | 28 | 464 | 48 | 24 | 2 | 53 | 8 | — | 24 | 14 | 6 | 5 | — | 106 | 5 | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | W 12 | WNW 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 11 | W 15 | — | — |
— | — | — | 69 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 4 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 5 | NW 8 | NW 8 | — | W 10 | W 14 | — | E 4 | ESE 4 | — | — | — | — | — | W 5 | — | W 11 | W 14 | WNW 17 |
119 | 1125 | 919 | — | 2170 | 6249 | — | 8 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | 136 | — | 233 | 714 | 2500 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 192 | 175 | 86 | 192 | 93 | 97 | 95 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 95 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 111 | 111 | 192 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Nelson - West Coast | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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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