Surf Forecasts:
Wharariki Beach surf forecast from 13 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 15 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 18s period, W swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 15 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 17s period, W swell with 1,858 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 13 Aug, 3PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 12s period with WNW 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 3PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m and 7s. 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 17s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 6AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 16) at 9PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 3PM (Thu 13th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 3AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Sat 15th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wharariki Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at the upcoming swell window. We've got a bit of a slow start, but the second half of the week is looking proper.
The main event is Wharariki Beach. It’s an exposed spot, so it picks up whatever is running. For Thursday the 13th, the morning is a write-off with onshore wind and poor surf. But by Thursday afternoon, the wind goes glassy and we’ve got a clean 5ft swell rolling in from the WNW. That’s a solid start. The water temp is 57°F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year.
Friday the 14th morning sees the swell drop to 3ft, but with a very long 17-second period and light offshore cross-off wind from the SE—that’s clean, lined-up surf, even if it’s smaller. Perfect for the logs or a mid-length. Friday afternoon gets a bit messy with a cross-shore wind.
Now, Saturday the 15th is the standout. Both morning and afternoon are firing with clean, glassy conditions and a powerful 6ft swell from the west, with a 16-second period. The combined energy is very strong (1588 in the morning, 1512 in the afternoon). This is excellent for experienced surfers. It’s not huge, but the quality is top-tier. The wind is only 3 mph, so it’ll be silky.
Sunday the 16th holds similar size (6-7ft) but comes with a light rain and a moderate breeze, keeping things a bit lumpy. It’s surfable, but not as clean as Saturday.
Monday the 17th looks good again—clean 5ft swell in the morning, dropping to 4ft in the afternoon with glassy conditions. That afternoon session will be a joy.
From Tuesday the 18th onward, the swell drops significantly. Tuesday morning is small but glassy, but by afternoon a 16 mph cross-wind messes it up. From Wednesday the 19th right through to Tuesday the 26th of August, it’s mostly poor or marginal. The swell is small, the wind is often onshore or cross-shore, and there’s not much to get excited about. There’s a long gap of weak, messy surf where you’re better off checking the forecast again.
Then, on Thursday the 27th of August, things get interesting again. The morning brings a clean 3ft swell under light offshore wind. But the afternoon is a different beast—an 12ft swell from the NNW, with a short 8-second period, and very strong combined energy (1704). Problem is, that’s too big and raw for Wharariki. It’s going to be a washing machine. Friday the 28th is even bigger, with 10-12ft and energy up to 2953. This is expert-only territory, and even then, the swell direction and short period mean it’ll be a challenge.
So to wrap it up: Saturday the 15th is your best bet. Clean, solid 6ft west swell with light winds. Monday the 17th afternoon is also a gem. The rest of the window is either small and clean, or big and messy. Stay savvy.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu morning, min 9°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Very mild (max 11°C on Tue afternoon, min 7°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | |||||||||||||||
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) | N 7 | WNW 12 | W 16 | W 17 | W 18 | W 18 | W 16 | W 16 | W 16 | W 16 | W 15 | W 16 | W 15 | W 15 | W 14 | W 14 | W 13 | W 14 | W 16 | W 16 | W 15 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
343 | 509 | 333 | 438 | 298 | 875 | 1529 | 1433 | 1647 | 1723 | 1449 | 1211 | 846 | 711 | 482 | 442 | 690 | 388 | 737 | 701 | 517 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 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 | 1:38PM2.97m | 1:55AM2.90m | 2:20PM2.78m | 2:39AM2.67m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 7:30AM0.32m | 7:48PM0.49m | 8:10AM0.54m | 8:32PM0.72m | ||||||||
7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | |
— | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | |
mm | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
Feels °C | 9 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 10 | WNW 12 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 18 | W 16 | W 16 | W 16 | W 16 | W 15 | W 16 | W 15 | W 15 | W 14 | W 14 | W 18 | W 14 | W 16 | W 16 | W 15 |
286 | 509 | 260 | 146 | 101 | 875 | 1529 | 1433 | 1647 | 1723 | 1449 | 1211 | 846 | 711 | 482 | 442 | 6 | 388 | 737 | 701 | 517 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 17 | NNE 7 | W 16 | W 17 | W 18 | W 8 | W 7 | W 7 | ENE 6 | — | NW 15 | E 6 | E 4 | W 9 | W 9 | ENE 3 | — | W 18 | ENE 4 | E 4 | WNW 15 |
209 | 135 | 333 | 438 | 298 | 63 | 59 | 79 | 11 | — | 58 | 94 | 6 | 85 | 37 | 2 | — | 99 | 3 | 3 | 22 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 13 | W 16 | NNE 6 | NE 5 | W 14 | E 5 | — | — | NW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 18 | — | WNW 18 | — | — | — |
69 | 178 | 25 | 3 | 96 | 5 | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 25 | — | 61 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 7 | — | — | SE 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 7 | E 7 | — | — | — | ENE 3 | — | W 13 | SE 2 | — | ENE 4 | E 5 |
343 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 208 | 104 | — | — | — | 4 | — | 690 | 1 | — | 3 | 43 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 95 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 111 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 163 | 11 | 11 | 162 | 20 |
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.











