Surf Forecasts:
Wharariki Beach surf forecast from 27 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, NNW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 31 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 15s period, W swell with 4,969 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 6PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period with NNW 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 Friday (Aug 28) at 6PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.0m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 7s. Another secondary swell of 0.1m and 23s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-shore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Wharariki Beach in the next 16 days are 3.5m 15s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 31) at 6PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 29) at 6PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 6PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 6PM (Mon 31st Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wharariki Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve been staring at the charts for Wharariki Beach and honestly, it’s a pretty rough run we’ve got ahead. The next two weeks are mostly a write-off for paddle surfing, so let’s get straight into it.
The ocean’s been flipping a switch on us, but it’s not a good one. The water’s sitting at 57°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no drama there. The problem is, for the first week, we’ve got a whole lot of wind and not much of a window. Thursday morning (27th August) kicks off with rain, a 19 mph cross-shore, and a messy 4 ft swell from the WNW – energy’s only moderate at 512 and the wave comment says it all: poor surf. Thursday afternoon looks a little cleaner with a cross-off breeze, but it’s still marginal. Friday through to the following Monday (31st August) is a write-off – the swell pumps up to 12 ft and bigger, but the wind is howling (near gale from the N, then W), making it a complete mess. The energy values are huge (over 4500, even 4758 on Monday afternoon), but with that wind, it’s just a washing machine. Not for surfing.
We get a bit of a breather on Tuesday morning (1st September) – the swell drops to 8 ft from the W, with a 14-second period, and the wind is a cross-off 19 mph. The energy is still strong at 2725, but the wave comment says marginal. It’s clean, but the size is getting up there – over 8 ft, so this is expert territory only, and the wind, while cross-off, is still a fresh breeze. Wednesday and Thursday (2nd and 3rd September) are messy again with strong cross-shore winds, though Thursday afternoon (3rd September) cleans up with a 8 ft WNW swell (16s period, energy 3458) and a cross-off breeze. It’s still a strong breeze though, so it’s a bit of a handful.
Then we hit a glimmer. Saturday 5th September morning and afternoon – the charts show a 10 ft swell from the W, 15-second period, and a fresh 22 mph cross-shore wind. The wave comment says wind and tide are favorable, but the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. The energy is massive (4253 and 3830), and the score is an 11 out of 10, which is a standout. This is the best on offer, but it’s a big one – 10 ft is only for experts. The wind is cross-shore, so it’s not glassy, but it’s clean and the long period (15s) means it’s a powerful groundswell. For a beach break like Wharariki, that long period can make it break a bit straight, but if you’re an expert, it could be a ripper. Just be aware – Saturday 5th September is the one to circle.
After that, Sunday 6th September to the end of the run (11th September) is a mixed bag of messy cross-onshore winds, gale-force gusts, and massive swell – Monday 8th September has a 12 ft swell with light cross-shore winds, but it’s too big for this break, and the energy is huge (3669). By Friday 11th September, we’re looking at a gale-force 40 mph wind and a 15 ft swell with energy over 10,000 – that’s kite-surfing territory, not paddle surfing. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
So, to sum it up: the first week is a bust. The standout is Saturday 5th September – a powerful, clean, but very big swell for experts only. Be patient, and keep an eye on the forecasts for that one.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 23mm), heaviest during Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu night, min 11°C on Thu morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the SE on Thu afternoon, near gales from the N by Fri morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Sun morning, min 11°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (severe gales from the W on Mon afternoon, moderate winds from the WSW by Tue morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | NW 10 | NNW 10 | NNW 10 | NNW 9 | W 9 | W 20 | WSW 18 | W 17 | W 16 | W 11 | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | W 14 | W 14 | W 14 | W 17 | W 15 | WNW 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
276 | 235 | 761 | 2648 | 2375 | 767 | 219 | 2274 | 2503 | 3198 | 3634 | 3109 | 4284 | 4758 | 4745 | 2714 | 2245 | 1891 | 3110 | 2096 | 580 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | on | on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 9:28AM2.90m | 9:45PM3.11m | 10:04AM3.05m | 10:20PM3.24m | 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 | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:34PM0.40m | 3:58AM0.30m | 4:10PM0.25m | 4:33AM0.16m | 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 | ||||||||
7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | |
— | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:06 | — | |
mm | 3 | 2 | — | 1 | 16 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
Feels °C | 6 | 8 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 15 | W 14 | NE 8 | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | N 8 | N 8 | NW 15 | — | WNW 15 | W 24 | NW 14 | WNW 15 | — | — | — |
276 | 235 | 72 | 102 | 169 | 767 | 181 | 116 | 84 | 24 | 12 | 1 | 217 | — | 22 | 11 | 53 | 21 | — | — | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 13 | W 12 | W 16 | — | W 14 | W 13 | W 11 | W 10 | WNW 18 | WNW 18 | — | NW 14 | — | — | WNW 11 | — | E 3 | W 20 | — | — | — |
155 | 75 | 5 | — | 91 | 84 | 198 | 120 | 195 | 30 | — | 49 | — | — | 13 | — | 1 | 8 | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 18 | W 16 | — | — | W 23 | WNW 11 | W 21 | WNW 20 | W 13 | WNW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
54 | 47 | — | — | 11 | 24 | 78 | 135 | 29 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 4 | ESE 5 | NW 10 | NNW 10 | NNW 10 | W 4 | W 9 | W 20 | WSW 18 | W 17 | W 16 | W 11 | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | W 14 | W 14 | W 14 | W 17 | W 15 | WNW 7 |
27 | 42 | 761 | 2648 | 2375 | 33 | 219 | 2274 | 2503 | 3198 | 3634 | 3109 | 4284 | 4758 | 4745 | 2714 | 2245 | 1891 | 3110 | 2096 | 580 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 111 | 11 | 111 | 255 | 215 | 86 | 95 | 97 | 152 | 152 | 196 | 152 | 152 | 198 | 95 | 152 | 163 | 111 | 152 | 215 | 215 |
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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