Surf Forecasts:
Wharariki Beach surf forecast from 11 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 15 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 17s period, W swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 16 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 16s period, W swell with 1,631 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 13 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 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 Thursday (Aug 13) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m and 11s. Another secondary swell of 0.9m and 6s is also forecast. 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 1.8m 16s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 16) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 7s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 16) at 3AM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9PM (Thu 13th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Sun 16th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wharariki Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for our patch.
To be honest, the next few days are a bit of a write-off. Wednesday the 12th and Thursday the 13th are plagued by poor surf conditions—on-shore winds and messy swells make it a solid no-go. We’re looking at a gap of basically nothing worth paddling out for until the end of the week.
The first real glimmer of hope shows up on Friday morning the 14th. Wharariki Beach (Wharariki) will see some clean, cross-off conditions with a 3 ft swell from the west, a nice long period of 17 seconds, and light winds. The combined wave energy is moderate at 589. It’s not huge, but it’s clean and rideable. Friday afternoon turns glassy with a 2 ft, 18-second swell from the west—perfect for a longboard or a sneaky session after work.
Now, the standout of the whole forecast is Saturday the 15th. Wharariki Beach is going to fire. Morning brings a glassy, offshore wind with a 6 ft west swell, 16-second period, and strong wave energy (1613). The afternoon stays clean with a cross-off breeze and the same size. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers—it’s a bit too big for beginners, but if you’ve got the skills, you’ll be grinning. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual.
Sunday the 16th sees the swell hold at 6 ft, but there’s some light rain and a bit more cross-shore wind, making conditions a tad more marginal. Still worth a look if you’re keen. Monday the 17th morning is clean and cross-off with a 5 ft west swell, but the wind switches onshore in the afternoon. The week after that fades out with smaller swells and plenty of wind, so make the most of this weekend.
If you’re a beginner, aim for Friday morning or maybe the glassy Wednesday morning the 19th—that’s a clean 4 ft, 17-second west swell with barely a puff of wind. After that, the second week gets patchy, with small surf and some strong winds, though there’s a possible uptick on Thursday the 27th morning with a 3 ft west swell and strong energy again—worth keeping an eye on, but it’s a long way out.
Stay stoked, and paddle hard.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 38mm), heaviest during Wed night. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu morning, min 11°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the ESE on Tue night, calm by Thu night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 13°C on Fri night, min 8°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | ||||||||||||||
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 18 | W 16 | W 16 | N 8 | N 7 | WNW 12 | W 16 | W 17 | W 18 | W 18 | W 16 | W 16 | W 16 | W 16 | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | W 14 | W 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 152 | 129 | 122 | 453 | 306 | 449 | 333 | 438 | 298 | 875 | 1548 | 1397 | 1115 | 1402 | 1279 | 984 | 823 | 598 | 482 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | on | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-off | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 12:58PM3.14m | 1:15AM3.13m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 6:50AM0.13m | 7:07PM0.28m | |||||||
 |  |  |  |  | |  |  | |  | | |  |  | |  | | | | |
 | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — |
mm | — | — | 4 | 22 | 8 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 8 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
Feels °C | 4 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 18 | W 16 | N 7 | N 8 | NW 10 | WNW 12 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | W 18 | W 18 | W 16 | W 16 | W 16 | W 16 | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | W 14 | W 14 |
| kJ | 152 | 129 | 107 | 453 | 286 | 449 | 255 | 146 | 298 | 875 | 1548 | 1397 | 1115 | 1402 | 1279 | 984 | 823 | 598 | 482 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 13 | N 7 | NW 12 | NW 10 | W 17 | W 16 | W 16 | W 17 | W 9 | WNW 8 | W 7 | W 7 | W 8 | — | NW 15 | E 5 | E 4 | W 9 | — |
| kJ | 55 | 4 | 73 | 240 | 206 | 178 | 333 | 438 | 78 | 67 | 65 | 83 | 100 | — | 59 | 47 | 6 | 55 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 10 | N 9 | W 16 | W 19 | WNW 13 | W 19 | NNE 6 | NNE 5 | W 14 | E 5 | — | — | E 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 8 | 7 | 122 | 111 | 69 | 117 | 33 | 5 | 96 | 5 | — | — | 41 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 5 | E 5 | E 4 | — | N 7 | N 6 | — | SE 3 | ENE 4 | — | — | — | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | E 6 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 87 | 28 | 6 | — | 306 | 166 | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | 153 | 188 | 115 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 111 | 111 | 152 | 34 | 93 | 95 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 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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