Surf Forecasts:
Wharariki Beach surf forecast from 11 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 16 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 16s period, W swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 15 Jul, 12PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 16s period, WNW swell with 3,594 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 16 Jul, 3AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 16s 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 Thursday (Jul 16) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Wharariki Beach in the next 16 days are 2.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 12PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.1m 7s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 18) at 3PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3AM (Thu 16th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Thu 16th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 12PM (Wed 15th Jul) | 8ft (2.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wharariki Beach over the next 16 days.
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what Wharariki Beach has got cooking for us over the next couple of weeks.
First up, we've got a bit of a slow start. The surf is pretty marginal for the first few days. Saturday the 11th and Sunday the 12th offer some waist-high swell from the west, but it's a bit crossed up and the energy is only moderate (636). The water temp is sitting around 58°, which is about a degree and a half warmer than usual for this time of year – nice touch for a winter dip.
Monday the 13th and Tuesday the 14th are a write-off. The wind is howling onshore and the waves are small and messy. Definitely not worth paddling out. You'll be better off doing something else.
Now, things get interesting towards the middle of the week. Wednesday the 15th sees a big spike in energy (5706) with a west-northwest swell pushing 8ft, but it's crossed up and a bit stormy. Not ideal for a paddle board, but that kind of power might be more interesting for the kite crew.
But hang on, because Thursday the 16th is where it's at. Thursday morning brings a glassy session with a solid 6ft west swell, long 15-second periods, and a light north breeze. The energy is strong (1486), and the conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers. This is your standout window. The swell direction is a solid west, which is a good match for this exposed beach. If you're an intermediate or better, get out there.
The rest of Thursday afternoon and into Friday stays clean but the swell drops off a bit. Saturday the 18th offers a surprise: a glassy morning with a 3ft west swell, but look at that period – 19 seconds! That's a seriously long groundswell, and the energy is still moderate (775). It'll be clean, but that long period might make it a bit too straight for the beach break. Still, a good option for a sunrise paddle.
After that, the second week is a bit of a mixed bag. There's a solid window on Saturday the 25th afternoon with a clean 3ft west swell, 18-second period, and a gentle offshore southeast breeze. The energy is moderate (828) and conditions are described as very good. It's a promising long-range call, but you know how it is – keep an eye on it.
The rest of the second week is mostly small, windy, or both. There's a lot of days with not much to get excited about, so pick your window wisely.
Best on offer: Thursday 16th morning for the glassy, powerful surf. Saturday 25th afternoon is a solid long-range backup.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Mon night. Very mild (max 14°C on Mon afternoon, min 9°C on Sat afternoon). Winds increasing (light winds from the N on Sun afternoon, strong winds from the NNW by Mon afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Wed morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Wed morning, min 10°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Tue night, calm by Thu morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sat 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 16 | W 16 | W 16 | W 15 | W 15 | W 14 | W 14 | WNW 9 | NW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 12 | W 16 | WNW 16 | W 16 | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | W 14 | W 13 | W 13 | W 19 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 636 | 615 | 489 | 441 | 271 | 200 | 96 | 666 | 281 | 458 | 993 | 2839 | 3154 | 2123 | 1472 | 1145 | 830 | 668 | 1021 | 1155 | 463 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | on | on | cross-on | on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy |
High Tide | 7:04PM2.90m | 7:32AM2.92m | 8:08PM3.06m | 8:35AM3.05m | 9:06PM3.24m | 9:32AM3.17m | 9:59PM3.40m | 10:24AM3.27m | 10:49PM3.49m | 11:14AM3.30m | 11:37PM3.52m | 12:01PM3.28m | 00:23AM3.46m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:21AM0.55m | 1:50PM0.40m | 2:25AM0.38m | 2:49PM0.26m | 3:23AM0.21m | 3:44PM0.12m | 4:16AM0.07m | 4:35PM0.02m | 5:06AM-0.01m | 5:23PM-0.01m | 5:54AM-0.03m | 6:10PM0.03m | 6:40AM0.03m | ||||||||
 |  | | | |  |  |  | | |  |  |  |  | | |  | | | | | |
 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:50 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:48 | — | — | 7:47 |
 | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | 5:22 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 |
Feels °C | 7 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 16 | W 16 | W 16 | W 15 | W 15 | W 14 | W 14 | N 8 | NW 8 | W 18 | N 7 | W 16 | WNW 16 | W 16 | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | W 14 | WNW 14 | NW 3 | W 8 |
| kJ | 636 | 615 | 489 | 441 | 271 | 200 | 96 | 329 | 281 | 58 | 44 | 2839 | 3154 | 2123 | 1472 | 1145 | 830 | 668 | 18 | 2 | 114 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | N 12 | N 12 | NE 12 | N 11 | N 11 | N 11 | W 14 | NNE 7 | W 13 | W 18 | N 6 | — | N 6 | E 5 | E 5 | E 4 | N 5 | — | WNW 5 | W 19 |
| kJ | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 61 | 91 | 32 | 328 | 49 | — | 40 | 19 | 16 | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 463 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | N 14 | N 13 | N 13 | W 23 | N 7 | — | NW 19 | — | — | — | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | N 6 | — | — | WNW 13 | W 14 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 4 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 38 | — | 14 | — | — | — | 14 | 8 | 3 | — | — | 18 | 198 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 3 | E 3 | — | — | NNW 4 | N 6 | WNW 9 | — | NW 8 | WNW 12 | WNW 16 | NNW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | W 13 | W 13 | ESE 5 |
| kJ | — | 4 | 2 | — | — | 25 | 72 | 666 | — | 458 | 993 | 2818 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | 1021 | 1155 | 104 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 11 | 11 | 7 | 111 | 111 | 111 | 215 | 86 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 192 | 97 | 95 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 152 | 152 | 152 | 0 |
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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