Surf Forecasts:
Wharariki Beach surf forecast from 9 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 15 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 18s period, W swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 15 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 18s period, W swell with 2,678 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 10 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 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 Monday (Aug 10) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 1.0m and 6s is also forecast. 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 2.1m 18s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 7s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Mon 10th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 3PM (Sat 15th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Sat 15th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wharariki Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here again, letting you know what’s cooking for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a lot of meh before we get to the good stuff.
Wharariki Beach is the only break in the game. The first real window opens on Saturday the 15th. The morning has a 5ft west swell with a 16-second period, but the wind is messy. The afternoon, though, is the big one: a clean 7ft west swell with an 18-second period, and a light offshore breeze. That’s excellent, powerful surf for experienced surfers only. Energy is strong (2496). Long period means long waits between sets, so be patient.
Sunday the 16th stays in the 5ft to 6ft range with a west swell, but the cross-offshore wind keeps it from being perfect.
The real gem is Monday the 17th. The morning is glassy – zero wind – with a 4ft west swell at 15 seconds. Clean, fun, and with no crowds, this is the best session of the whole 16 days. Water temp is 57°, normal for this time of year.
The following week drops off. Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th offer small, clean waves around 3ft to 3ft, but the energy is weak. By the 22nd and 23rd, it’s tiny 2ft to 2ft swells with glassy conditions – fine for a longboard, but nothing special.
That big 7ft north windswell on Wednesday the 12th and Thursday the 13th? Short period (7-8 seconds) and howling onshore winds. That’s a kite-surfing day, not a surfing day.
Bottom line: Monday the 17th morning at Wharariki Beach is your best bet. Clean, glassy, waist-to-chest high west swell. Saturday the 15th afternoon has the size for the big-wave riders.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Mon morning, min 10°C on Tue morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the ENE on Wed morning, strong winds from the N by Wed night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat morning, min 12°C on Fri afternoon). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SE on Fri night, calm by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | |||||||||||||||
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 15 | W 14 | W 13 | W 19 | W 18 | W 16 | N 7 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | W 16 | W 16 | W 15 | W 18 | W 16 | W 18 | W 17 | W 16 | W 16 | W 15 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 387 | 940 | 257 | 167 | 260 | 152 | 129 | 407 | 599 | 487 | 352 | 333 | 338 | 208 | 735 | 1372 | 2491 | 2375 | 1487 | 1274 | 770 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 7:59PM3.00m | 8:28AM2.97m | 8:56PM3.22m | 9:23AM3.14m | 9:47PM3.40m | 10:11AM3.27m | 10:32PM3.51m | 10:56AM3.34m | 11:15PM3.53m | 11:38AM3.34m | 11:56PM3.47m | 12:18PM3.27m | 00:35AM3.33m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:40PM0.51m | 2:17AM0.43m | 2:40PM0.32m | 3:13AM0.21m | 3:32PM0.14m | 4:03AM0.04m | 4:19PM0.01m | 4:48AM-0.06m | 5:03PM-0.04m | 5:30AM-0.08m | 5:45PM-0.01m | 6:11AM-0.01m | 6:26PM0.10m | ||||||||
 | |  |  |  | |  |  |  | | | | | | |  | |  | | |  | |
 | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — |
 | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 3 | 4 | 1 | — | 1 | 10 | 8 | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 9 |
Feels °C | 6 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 1 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | W 14 | W 13 | W 19 | W 18 | W 16 | NW 12 | NW 10 | NW 10 | WNW 10 | N 7 | NNE 7 | W 15 | W 18 | W 16 | W 18 | W 17 | W 16 | W 16 | W 15 |
| kJ | 140 | 96 | 257 | 167 | 260 | 152 | 129 | 72 | 204 | 281 | 277 | 100 | 62 | 208 | 735 | 1372 | 2491 | 2375 | 1487 | 1274 | 770 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 16 | WNW 15 | W 6 | N 8 | W 13 | W 13 | N 10 | W 16 | W 19 | W 17 | W 16 | WNW 10 | W 16 | W 18 | W 8 | NW 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | E 7 | — |
| kJ | 387 | 21 | 39 | 30 | 86 | 51 | 7 | 122 | 111 | 206 | 258 | 198 | 338 | 169 | 22 | 2 | 62 | 77 | 15 | 8 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | N 8 | WSW 6 | NNW 8 | N 7 | N 8 | W 22 | W 14 | W 21 | W 16 | W 16 | WNW 9 | W 9 | NW 7 | — | NW 11 | E 6 | E 7 | W 5 | — |
| kJ | — | — | 49 | 14 | 19 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 64 | 9 | 76 | 333 | 94 | 41 | 9 | — | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 7 | W 15 | ESE 3 | E 5 | E 5 | E 4 | NNE 5 | N 7 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | ESE 4 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | ESE 6 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | — | — | — | E 7 |
| kJ | 135 | 940 | 2 | 44 | 35 | 28 | 33 | 407 | 599 | 487 | 352 | 20 | 40 | 46 | 160 | 117 | 107 | — | — | — | 205 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 95 | 193 | 11 | 20 | 153 | 111 | 111 | 95 | 97 | 111 | 152 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 20 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 111 | 11 | 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.
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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