Wharariki Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 40.51° S 172.67° E

Wharariki Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 11 pm 14 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Wharariki Beach sea temperature is
13.8° C
0.7° 

Wharariki Beach surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Wharariki Beach surf forecast from 14 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 15 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 17s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 16 Aug, 12AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 16s period, W swell with 1,858 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 15 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 17s 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 (Aug 15) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 17s 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 1.9m 16s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 16) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 7s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 12AM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 6AM (Sat 15th Aug)5.5ft (1.7m) 17s
Best Surf 6AM (Sat 15th Aug)5.5ft (1.7m) 17s
Most Powerful12AM (Sun 16th Aug)6ft (1.9m) 16s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wharariki Beach over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here, checking in from the coast. Right now, it’s a bit of a slow start, but we’ve got a solid run of surf coming through for Wharariki Beach. The first proper swell doesn’t show until Friday afternoon, so the early part of the week is a flat spell – nothing worth paddling for until then.

Come Friday afternoon, the 14th of August, it’s a gentle kick-off: 2ft of long-period swell out of the west, with a period of 18 seconds. The wind is light out of the south, so conditions are clean. The combined wave energy is moderate (472). It’s not huge, but it’s a nice intro. Water temperature is sitting at 57°, which is about 1° warmer than the annual average, so nothing too unusual for the time of year.

The real standout comes Saturday morning, the 15th of August. Wharariki Beach is pumping with 6ft of west swell, a 16-second period, and the wind is a light cross-off from the southwest. That’s clean, powerful, and solid for experienced surfers. The combined energy jumps to a strong 1763. This is the best on offer – big, clean, and with that long-period groundswell.

Saturday afternoon holds similar size at 6ft, still cross-off, with energy at 1512. Still excellent, but the morning is the pick.

Sunday the 16th sees the swell holding at 6ft, but the wind swings around to the southeast, picking up to 15-18 mph. It’s cross-off, so waves are still rideable, but the quality drops – the energy is still strong, but the wind makes it marginal. By Monday morning, the 17th, the swell drops to 5ft, and the wind goes glassy out of the southeast. That’s a rare treat at Wharariki – glassy, clean conditions with moderate energy (859). A solid window for intermediate surfers.

The pattern holds through the week, with smaller swells around 2ft to 4ft on Tuesday and Wednesday, but with light winds keeping things clean. The period stays long, so the waves have shape. Wednesday morning, the 19th, is a nice call: 4ft of west swell, 16 seconds, with light cross-off winds and energy at 748.

Now, look ahead to the 26th of August – Wednesday morning. That’s a long way off, but it’s a big one. 5ft of west swell, 18-second period, with glassy conditions and zero wind. Combined energy is a strong 1204. That’s a standout for the second week – clean, powerful, and for experienced surfers. The 29th of August, Saturday morning, also shows promise: 7ft of north-northwest swell, light cross-off winds, and energy at 870. Good shape, but that’s more than a week away, so don’t lock it in.

A couple of warnings: on the 24th of August, Monday, the swell hits 12ft from the north, but with a short period of 9 seconds and strong winds – that’s too big for most, and honestly, it’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session. The 28th of August also sees a rough cross-shore wind with 8ft of north swell, messy and lumpy.

Overall, Wharariki Beach is consistent and exposed, with never any crowds, so you’ll have the place to yourself. The best windows are Saturday morning the 15th and Wednesday morning the 26th. Keep your eyes on the sky, and don’t sleep on that glassy Monday morning the 17th.

Rusty, signing off.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri night, min 7°C on Sun morning). Winds increasing (calm on Sat morning, fresh winds from the SE by Sat night).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 12°C on Wed afternoon, min 7°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Tue afternoon, calm by Wed night).

Saturday
15
Sunday
16
Monday
17
Tuesday
18
Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
4
4
3
3
3
3
3
2
2
1
0
2
3
1
3
2
1
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.2
W
18
1.8
W
16
1.7
W
16
1.9
W
16
1.9
W
16
1.9
W
15
1.7
W
15
1.4
W
15
1.2
W
15
1.1
W
14
0.8
W
14
1.1
W
13
1.1
W
13
1.3
W
16
1.3
W
16
1.2
W
15
1
W
14
0.9
W
14
0.8
W
14
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
875
1714
1433
1858
1745
1571
1344
858
606
489
239
417
423
875
822
610
411
329
236
Wind (km/h)
5
S
10
SW
10
WSW
10
WNW
25
SE
20
SE
20
SSE
10
SE
10
NNW
10
SSW
15
SE
25
W
15
SE
10
ESE
10
N
5
SSE
15
ESE
10
ENE
10
W
Wind State
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
on
glassy
cross-off
cross
cross
High Tide
11:15PM3.53m
11:38AM3.34m
11:56PM3.47m
12:18PM3.27m
00:35AM3.33m
12:58PM3.14m
1:15AM3.13m
1:38PM2.97m
1:55AM2.90m
2:20PM2.78m
2:39AM2.67m
3:09PM2.59m
Low Tide
5:30AM-0.08m
5:45PM-0.01m
6:11AM-0.01m
6:26PM0.10m
6:50AM0.13m
7:07PM0.28m
7:30AM0.32m
7:48PM0.49m
8:10AM0.54m
8:32PM0.72m
8:56AM0.76m
9:24PM0.93m
clear
clear
clear
rain showers
light rain
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:18
7:16
7:16
7:15
7:13
7:11
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:49
5:50
5:51
5:52
5:52
5:52
 mm
7
3
Temp °C
14
13
13
13
10
10
10
8
8
8
9
11
10
11
12
12
10
11
11
Feels °C
13
13
11
10
3
4
2
5
4
3
5
4
5
9
9
11
7
9
9
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
How to use the Wavefinder 
submit an eyeball surf report

Quick surf report for Wharariki Beach:

join our community of surf reporters

FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website

The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Wharariki Beach surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.


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.

Nearest locationNearest