Surf Forecasts:
Wharariki Beach surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 31 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 14s period, W swell with 5,050 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 9AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 13s 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 (Sep 01) at 9AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 24s. Another secondary swell of 0.1m and 24s is also forecast. 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 3.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 31) at 3PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 29) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 9AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 3PM (Mon 31st Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wharariki Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s look at what we’ve got for Wharariki Beach over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, I gotta be honest with you – this is a rough stretch. The whole 16-day window is a mess. We’ve got consistent swell, no doubt, and it’s coming from the west-northwest, which is the right direction for this exposed spot. The water temp is sittin’ around 57°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, nothin’ unusual there.
But the problem is the wind. For almost the entire run, we’re lookin’ at strong to near-gale force winds, mostly cross or cross-off, but way too strong to make for any kind of pleasant session. The energy in the water is massive – we’re talkin’ values up in the thousands, like 2366, 3181, even 5050 on the Monday afternoon. That’s some serious grunt, but it’s mostly gonna be a churned-up, blown-out mess.
From Saturday the 29th right through to Sunday the 13th of September, this is one long, drawn-out period of poor surf conditions. The swell heights are consistently between 5 ft and 15 ft, which means for a lot of it, it’s too big for beginners, and when it’s over 8 ft, it’s expert territory only. But with these winds, even the experts are gonna be struggling to find a clean face.
There is one small window – Tuesday, September 1st. Both morning and afternoon have a “wind and tide favorable” note, with a 12 ft and 10 ft west swell and a 13-second period. That’s a good long groundswell, which can mean better shape, but it’s also cross-off wind at 25 mph. It’s not ideal, but it’s the closest to a stand out in this whole outlook. The swell is still too big for most, though.
Honestly, this stretch is more interesting for kiteboarders than paddle surfers. The wave energy is there, but the wind is gonna smash it up. For the rest of the 16 days, it’s just poor conditions, with a few days of marginal or “too big” notes thrown in. It’s a blank run, plain and simple. Sometimes the ocean just gives you a hard pass. We’ll be waitin’ for that next calm spell.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Sat afternoon, min 11°C on Sat morning). Winds increasing (strong winds from the W on Sat afternoon, gales from the W by Mon night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Thu night. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu night, min 10°C on Tue morning). Winds increasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Tue morning, near gales from the WSW by Wed morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | |||||||||||||||
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 9 | W 20 | W 18 | W 17 | W 16 | W 10 | W 14 | W 14 | W 10 | W 13 | W 13 | W 14 | W 14 | W 14 | W 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 14 | WNW 8 | W 9 | W 15 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 408 | 2274 | 2456 | 3164 | 4213 | 2387 | 4382 | 5050 | 3796 | 3553 | 3169 | 2062 | 1979 | 1581 | 453 | 856 | 672 | 496 | 1319 | 1528 | 2246 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:38AM3.16m | 10:54PM3.33m | 11:13AM3.23m | 11:28PM3.36m | 11:49AM3.25m | 00:04AM3.32m | 12:26PM3.21m | 00:43AM3.23m | 1:07PM3.11m | 1:26AM3.07m | 1:53PM2.97m | 2:16AM2.88m | 2:49PM2.81m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:45PM0.16m | 5:07AM0.07m | 5:20PM0.12m | 5:42AM0.05m | 5:57PM0.14m | 6:19AM0.09m | 6:36PM0.21m | 6:59AM0.20m | 7:19PM0.35m | 7:43AM0.36m | 8:08PM0.52m | 8:36AM0.55m | 9:09PM0.70m | ||||||||
 | |  | | |  | |  | | | | | | |  |  | | | | | | |
 | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — |
 | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 11 |
Feels °C | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | -2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 3 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 7 | NNW 8 | N 9 | N 8 | NW 14 | — | — | W 24 | W 13 | W 20 | WNW 15 | — | — | — | W 14 | W 14 | — | N 7 | W 15 |
| kJ | 153 | 73 | 31 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 211 | — | — | 11 | 3169 | 67 | 21 | — | — | — | 146 | 496 | — | 48 | 2246 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 21 | NW 20 | NNW 8 | N 8 | — | NW 16 | — | — | — | W 24 | W 22 | NE 4 | W 18 | — | — | — | — | WNW 15 | — | NW 8 | WNW 15 |
| kJ | 78 | 16 | 19 | 5 | — | 61 | — | — | — | 11 | 36 | 2 | 6 | — | — | — | — | 21 | — | 43 | 44 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 21 | W 12 | W 12 | — | — | N 8 | — | — | — | — | W 22 | W 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 15 | NW 9 |
| kJ | 9 | 3 | 3 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 36 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 23 | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 20 | W 18 | W 17 | W 16 | W 10 | W 14 | W 14 | W 10 | W 13 | — | W 14 | W 14 | W 14 | W 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | W 9 | — |
| kJ | 408 | 2274 | 2456 | 3164 | 4213 | 2387 | 4382 | 5050 | 3796 | 3553 | — | 2062 | 1979 | 1581 | 453 | 856 | 672 | 362 | 1319 | 1528 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 95 | 97 | 152 | 196 | 196 | 152 | 152 | 196 | 196 | 152 | 152 | 152 | 152 | 111 | 152 | 95 | 152 | 95 | 97 | 97 | 111 |
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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