Surf Forecasts:
Wharariki Beach surf forecast from 22 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 15s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 15s period, W swell with 5,529 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 6AM (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 Monday (Aug 24) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 15s period. 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 15s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wharariki Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's get into it.
Right off the bat, the surf is pumping, but this is not a spot for the faint of heart. We're looking at a solid run of swell, but the wind is going to be the main character for the next week or so, and it's a grumpy one. It starts with a bang, but the quality is going to be a struggle.
We kick off this Sunday, the 23rd of August, with a massive 15ft swell out of the WNW, but the wind is a full-on gale from the west at 40 mph. It's a washing machine out there. The combined wave energy is enormous at 3781, but it's a no-go for surfing. The same goes for Monday, the 24th. The swell drops a touch to 10ft from the west, but the wind is still a strong breeze. The notes say it's too big for this break, and I agree. It's a shame because the swell is a long-period 15-second groundswell, which would be something special if it was clean.
Tuesday, the 25th, is still a write-off with 7ft+ swell and strong cross-shore winds. The whole first week is a write-off, honestly. The wind just doesn't let up. It's not until Thursday, the 3rd of September, that we get a glimmer of hope. The swell drops to 5ft from the west, and the wind is a light cross-off. It's still marginal, but it's the first day we could even think about paddling out.
Now, the real standout is the morning of Friday, the 4th of September. The swell drops to a clean 3ft from the west, but the wind is a glassy 6 mph cross-off. It's a light breeze, which means the surface will be buttery smooth. The combined energy is weak at 600, but for a clean, fun wave, this is your window. It's a 13-second period, which isn't huge, but with zero wind, it'll be a joy. This is the best on offer for the entire forecast.
Looking further out, the morning of Saturday, the 5th of September, shows another big pulse of 12ft from the west. The wind is a slight air from the SW, which is perfect. But again, the notes say it's too big for this break. It's a classic case of the swell being too powerful for the setup.
The water temperature is sitting at 57°, which is about normal for this time of year, so no wetsuit surprises there.
So, to be blunt, it's a rough start. The first ten days are mostly a battle with the wind and oversized swell. The one true standout is the Friday morning on the 4th of September. It's small, but it's clean. If you're a seasoned surfer, the big swells might be a challenge, but for most, it's a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Sun morning, min 11°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (gales from the W on Sun morning, fresh winds from the WNW by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 35mm), heaviest during Fri morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Wed morning, min 13°C on Wed morning). Mainly strong winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | W 14 | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | W 14 | W 14 | W 14 | WNW 13 | WNW 7 | NW 8 | NW 10 | NNW 9 | NW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 21 | W 20 | W 18 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 3546 | 3596 | 5467 | 4223 | 3616 | 2512 | 1976 | 1672 | 1127 | 1163 | 626 | 1162 | 286 | 381 | 1574 | 1981 | 1150 | 715 | 4128 | 3609 | 2740 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross |
High Tide | 6:40PM2.42m | 7:09AM2.40m | 7:41PM2.57m | 8:05AM2.55m | 8:29PM2.75m | 8:49AM2.73m | 9:09PM2.94m | 9:28AM2.90m | 9:45PM3.11m | 10:04AM3.05m | 10:20PM3.24m | 10:38AM3.16m | 10:54PM3.33m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:16PM1.05m | 00:58AM1.04m | 1:22PM0.93m | 1:56AM0.88m | 2:13PM0.76m | 2:42AM0.68m | 2:56PM0.57m | 3:22AM0.48m | 3:34PM0.40m | 3:58AM0.30m | 4:10PM0.25m | 4:33AM0.16m | 4:45PM0.16m | ||||||||
 |  |  | |  |  | | | |  | |  | |  |  | | | | | | | |
 | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — |
 | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — |
mm | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 12 | — | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 |
Temp °C | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 |
Feels °C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 3 | -1 | 0 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 8 | N 9 | NW 14 | NW 15 | NW 9 | WNW 15 | WNW 15 | — | WNW 14 | WNW 14 | W 14 | — | W 13 | W 12 | W 15 | N 9 | N 9 | WNW 23 | — | NNW 7 | NNW 7 |
| kJ | 235 | 120 | 471 | 313 | 3 | 88 | 45 | — | 20 | 20 | 626 | — | 158 | 110 | 73 | 909 | 351 | 106 | — | 48 | 10 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 18 | W 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 18 |
| kJ | — | 151 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 54 | 47 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 31 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | W 14 | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | W 14 | W 14 | WNW 4 | WNW 13 | WNW 7 | NW 8 | NW 10 | NNW 9 | NW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 21 | W 20 | W 18 |
| kJ | 3546 | 3596 | 5467 | 4223 | 3616 | 2512 | 1976 | 1672 | 1127 | 1163 | 24 | 1162 | 286 | 381 | 1574 | 1981 | 1150 | 715 | 4128 | 3609 | 2740 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 97 | 211 | 211 | 97 | 152 | 152 | 196 | 196 | 163 | 111 | 152 | 152 | 97 | 192 | 215 | 215 | 86 | 95 | 97 | 196 | 215 |
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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