Surf Forecasts:
Wharariki Beach surf forecast from 3 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 9 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 10s period, NNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 4 Aug, 12PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 15s period, W swell with 1,683 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 4 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 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 (Aug 04) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 14s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Wharariki Beach in the next 16 days are 1.9m 15s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 11) at 9AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Tue 4th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Sun 9th Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Tue 4th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wharariki Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks. Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cooking for Wharariki Beach.
The next week and a half is a bit of a grind. We’ve got some swell, but the wind is playing games or the size isn’t quite right. You’ll see a real dry spell from the 4th through the 12th of August. After that, the second week of the window delivers the goods.
The real standout is Thursday morning, the 14th of August. Wharariki Beach gets a 5ft swell from the West, with a very long period of 17 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, and the combined energy is a strong 1536 (moderate to strong wave energy). The wind is light offshore from the WSW at 16 km/h, keeping things clean. This is the one to chase – powerful, clean lines for experienced surfers. Water temp is around 57°, which is normal for this time of year.
Saturday morning, the 16th of August is another good shout. A 3ft West swell, long 15-second period, and very light ESE wind at 8 km/h. The combined energy is 532 (moderate). It’s smaller, but it will be clean and fun. Then Monday morning, the 17th of August looks glassy with a 4ft West swell, 17-second period, and a light 5 km/h SSE breeze. Combined energy is 799 (moderate). Two solid sessions in a row.
The early days, like the 4th and 5th, have small, short-period swell but it’s mostly cross-onshore or messy. By the 9th, the swell jumps to 7ft on Sunday morning, but with a short 8-second period and cross-off wind, it’ll be a lumpy, sectiony mess. At 8ft on Sunday afternoon, it’s expert-only territory, and the short period means it’s not built for clean surfing.
The 10th through the 12th are a write-off – strong SE gales and near-gales blow hard, leaving the surf small and blown out. The 11th afternoon has a tiny 2ft, 19-second period swell, but it’s just a whisper of energy lost in the wind.
The best bet: Thursday morning, the 14th of August. A solid 5ft West swell, 17-second period, light offshore wind, and strong energy (1536). It’s the clear standout for experienced surfers. Monday morning, the 17th of August is also a top pick for a glassy, slightly smaller day.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 12°C on Thu night, min 7°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 37mm), heaviest during Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Fri night, min 10°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the N on Sat afternoon, light winds from the WSW by Sun afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | |||||||||||||||
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 16 | W 14 | W 14 | W 13 | W 13 | W 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | W 19 | WNW 8 | NW 10 | NW 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | NW 8 | N 8 | N 9 | NNW 10 | W 16 | W 15 | W 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 605 | 1340 | 682 | 280 | 166 | 209 | 66 | 58 | 29 | 69 | 541 | 747 | 322 | 236 | 240 | 491 | 958 | 454 | 402 | 348 | 329 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:34PM2.98m | 1:51AM3.04m | 2:19PM2.89m | 2:40AM2.91m | 3:13PM2.79m | 3:38AM2.77m | 4:18PM2.71m | 4:50AM2.68m | 5:35PM2.70m | 6:09AM2.68m | 6:51PM2.81m | 7:24AM2.80m | 7:59PM3.00m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:43PM0.43m | 8:11AM0.39m | 8:31PM0.55m | 9:01AM0.52m | 9:28PM0.68m | 10:02AM0.64m | 10:37PM0.77m | 11:14AM0.70m | 11:56PM0.76m | 12:31PM0.65m | 1:12AM0.63m | 1:40PM0.51m | 2:17AM0.43m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | | | | | |  |  |  | |  | | | | | | |  | |
 | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — |
 | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — |
mm | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 6 | 4 | 20 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 11 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 10 |
Feels °C | 5 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 2 | 2 | -1 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 14 | W 14 | W 13 | W 13 | W 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | W 12 | WNW 8 | W 14 | NW 9 | W 19 | W 17 | NW 8 | N 8 | N 9 | NNW 10 | N 9 | W 15 | W 14 |
| kJ | 552 | 1340 | 682 | 280 | 166 | 209 | 66 | 58 | 26 | 69 | 14 | 747 | 63 | 93 | 229 | 491 | 958 | 454 | 199 | 348 | 329 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 16 | WNW 15 | W 18 | W 18 | W 16 | E 4 | W 8 | W 7 | W 7 | W 14 | — | W 13 | W 12 | W 12 | W 18 | W 10 | W 14 | W 8 | W 16 | NNW 9 | N 9 |
| kJ | 605 | 22 | 25 | 55 | 46 | 1 | 10 | 9 | 4 | 37 | — | 31 | 12 | 12 | 240 | 67 | 134 | 111 | 402 | 129 | 74 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 5 | WNW 6 | — | N 14 | E 4 | N 13 | W 21 | W 21 | W 19 | W 19 | — | — | W 24 | W 12 | W 14 | W 14 | W 9 | W 17 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 |
| kJ | 32 | 4 | — | 4 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 34 | 29 | 7 | — | — | 11 | 12 | 61 | 103 | 56 | 281 | 60 | 40 | 16 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 4 | E 6 | ESE 5 | ESE 4 | — | — | — | — | WNW 5 | NW 3 | NW 10 | — | NW 8 | NW 8 | — | — | SSE 5 | — | — | — | E 5 |
| kJ | 8 | 60 | 17 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 8 | 3 | 541 | — | 322 | 236 | — | — | 33 | — | — | — | 43 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 111 | 111 | 0 | 11 | 162 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 111 | 111 | 95 | 95 | 34 | 95 | 86 | 34 | 11 | 20 | 34 | 34 |
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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