Wharariki Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 40.51° S 172.67° E

Wharariki Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 5 am 05 Sep 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 5 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 11 Sep, 6AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 19s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 12 Sep, 12AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 17s period, W swell with 12,969 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 3AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 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 08) at 3AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m and 9s. 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 4.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 12) at 12AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Monday (Sep 07) at 3PM.

Wave TypeTime (NZST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 3AM (Tue 8th Sep)3ft (0.9m) 13s
Best Surf 6AM (Fri 11th Sep)10ft (3.0m) 19s
Most Powerful12AM (Sat 12th Sep)15ft (4.5m) 17s

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 table for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we're looking at a pretty wild stretch. The water temp is sitting at 14°, which is about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there in the wetsuit department. But the swell story is a big one. We’ve got a massive pulse of energy coming in, but it's going to take a while for the conditions to line up for a proper paddle.

The first real chance to get wet doesn't look great. Saturday morning, September 5th, we've got a solid 10ft W swell with a 14-second period, and the combined energy is a massive 3696. That's a lot of power. The wind is cross-off, so it's clean, but honestly, that swell is too big for this spot. It's a real shame, because the conditions are otherwise good. The rest of that weekend and into the start of the next week is a write-off, with strong onshore winds and rain. We’re looking at a gap of about three days of poor surf.

Things start to get interesting on Tuesday morning, September 8th. The swell drops right down to a much more manageable 5ft from the NW, with a period of 9 seconds. The wind is glassy, absolutely dead calm. The energy is low (485), but for a clean, small-wave session, it's a nice little window. It's not a standout, but it's a chance to get a couple of fun ones.

The real standout, the one you’ve got to circle on the calendar, is Monday morning, September 14th. We’ve got a 8ft W swell with a very long 16-second period. The combined energy is a hefty 5946. The wind is a light cross-off from the SSW, keeping it clean. This is the sweet spot – big enough for a proper push, but not too big for an experienced surfer. The long period will mean long, waiting sets, and it’s going to be lining up beautifully. This is the best on offer, no question.

Later that same day, the swell bumps up to 10ft, and it starts getting too big for the break again. The following week is a mixed bag of strong winds and messy conditions until Friday afternoon, September 18th. That afternoon, we get another small window: a 8ft WNW swell, 15-second period, and the wind goes glassy again. The energy is high (3371), and it’s described as excellent for experienced surfers. It’s a good backup option.

The next morning, September 19th, a 13ft W swell with 16-second period rolls in, but the energy is over 9000. That’s expert territory, and the forecast says it’s too big for the break. Sunday morning, September 20th, looks like a better finish: a 8ft W swell, 15-second period, with a light cross-off breeze. Clean, solid, and a good way to close out the forecast.

So, to keep it simple: the best bet is Monday the 14th in the morning. The Friday the 18th afternoon is a solid second choice. The rest of the time, we’re either dealing with monster swell, howling wind, or a mix of both.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 36mm), heaviest during Mon morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat night, min 10°C on Mon morning). Winds decreasing (near gales from the NNW on Sun afternoon, light winds from the E by Mon night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Wed morning, min 10°C on Tue morning). Winds increasing (calm on Tue morning, strong winds from the WSW by Thu afternoon).

Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
Friday
11
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
!
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
!
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
3
W
14
3
W
15
3
W
16
3
WNW
17
2.3
W
17
2.5
WNW
16
1.2
W
15
1.9
NW
8
0.8
W
14
1.4
NW
9
1.3
NW
9
0.9
NW
9
0.7
W
10
1.4
WNW
13
1.9
W
18
2
WNW
16
2.5
W
16
2.3
W
16
3.5
W
19
4.5
W
18
4.5
W
17
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
3504
3919
4585
4701
2864
3173
661
523
249
268
260
127
94
604
2242
2036
3218
2529
9314
12035
12969
Wind (km/h)
35
WSW
45
WNW
40
W
35
NW
50
NNW
35
NNW
40
ESE
40
SE
25
ESE
5
NNE
15
NNE
15
NE
5
N
25
W
45
W
45
NW
50
WSW
40
WSW
40
WSW
55
WSW
55
WSW
Wind State
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
on
cross-on
on
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
4:00PM2.68m
4:39AM2.57m
5:25PM2.66m
6:06AM2.60m
6:45PM2.79m
7:20AM2.75m
7:50PM2.99m
8:19AM2.95m
8:43PM3.20m
9:09AM3.14m
9:29PM3.37m
9:52AM3.28m
10:10PM3.46m
Low Tide
9:42AM0.72m
10:25PM0.81m
11:02AM0.80m
11:50PM0.79m
12:23PM0.73m
1:07AM0.63m
1:32PM0.55m
2:08AM0.41m
2:28PM0.34m
2:59AM0.19m
3:16PM0.16m
3:43AM0.03m
3:59PM0.04m
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
light rain
mod rain
mod rain
heavy rain
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
light rain
light rain
rain showers
clear
part cloud
light rain
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:47
6:46
6:43
6:41
6:41
6:39
6:37
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:08
6:09
6:09
6:10
6:12
6:13
6:14
 mm
1
3
2
6
10
14
1
1
1
5
Temp °C
13
13
14
14
14
14
10
10
10
10
11
11
13
13
12
12
11
11
13
13
12
Feels °C
5
4
7
7
5
8
1
1
1
9
7
6
9
7
5
3
0
1
2
2
2
  • 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