Surf Forecasts:
Wharariki Beach surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 9AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 16s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 16s period, W swell with 3,314 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 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 Wednesday (Aug 19) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 17s. 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 2.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) 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 0.4m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 12PM.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 9AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 6AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 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 we’ve got on offer.
Right off the bat, the first solid window is Wednesday morning, August 19th, at Wharariki Beach. We’re seeing a nice 5ft swell rolling in from the west with a long 16-second period – that’s proper groundswell energy, bringing real shape. The wind is a light cross-off from the ESE at 6 mph, so it’s going to be clean. The combined swell energy is sitting at 1015, so there’s a good amount of power in the water. This is intermediate territory, and with the swell size, it’s not too big for a confident intermediate. It’s an exposed beach setup, so that long period might make the waves break a bit straight, but for Wednesday morning, this is the pick of the early run. Water temp is about average for the time of year.
After that, things go downhill fast. Wednesday afternoon gets chopped out with a cross-on wind, and from Thursday through to the end of the following week, it’s a long stretch of poor conditions. Winds get strong, gusty, and onshore or cross-shore, making a mess of things. There’s a big spike in size on Sunday the 23rd – 10ft swell – but with a near gale wind of 34 mph, that’s a no-go for paddling. That setup would be far more interesting for kite surfing than a surfboard.
The next real chance comes around on Saturday morning, August 30th. That’s over a week away, so treat this as promising but not locked in. We’ve got a clean 6ft west swell with a 16-second period, light cross-off wind from the SE at 6 mph, and combined energy of 1650. That’s a solid, powerful swell with clean conditions. For experienced intermediates, that Saturday morning session at Wharariki looks like the standout of the whole outlook.
Monday the 31st also offers a clean morning with a 4ft west swell and light offshore wind – a good, mellow option if the Saturday is too big for you.
After that, the surf fades away into tiny waves and flat spells by September 1st. There’s a flicker of life on Wednesday morning, September 2nd, with a 4ft west swell and clean conditions, but it’s a minor pulse.
Overall, the first call is Wednesday morning August 19th for a clean session. The real highlight to aim for is Saturday morning August 30th – that’s the one to circle on the calendar. The long middle stretch from Thursday the 20th through to Friday the 28th is mostly a write-off.
Stay stoked,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 12°C on Wed afternoon, min 9°C on Wed morning). Winds increasing (calm on Tue night, strong winds from the W by Fri afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat night, min 10°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (fresh winds from the W on Sat morning, near gales from the W by Sun morning). | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | ||||||||||||||
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 13 | W 16 | W 16 | W 15 | W 14 | W 14 | W 14 | W 16 | W 15 | W 14 | W 14 | NW 5 | WNW 8 | W 9 | W 10 | W 10 | W 16 | W 15 | W 15 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 451 | 1014 | 822 | 730 | 411 | 324 | 236 | 314 | 726 | 682 | 95 | 129 | 645 | 1342 | 1424 | 761 | 3230 | 2903 | 2027 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 1:55AM2.90m | 2:20PM2.78m | 2:39AM2.67m | 3:09PM2.59m | 3:31AM2.47m | 4:09PM2.44m | 4:39AM2.33m | 5:24PM2.37m | 5:58AM2.31m | 6:40PM2.42m | 7:09AM2.40m | 7:41PM2.57m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:10AM0.54m | 8:32PM0.72m | 8:56AM0.76m | 9:24PM0.93m | 9:51AM0.95m | 10:28PM1.08m | 11:00AM1.06m | 11:45PM1.12m | 12:16PM1.05m | 00:58AM1.04m | 1:22PM0.93m | 1:56AM0.88m | |||||||
 |  |  | | | |  | | | | |  |  | | | | | | | |
 | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 11 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 |
Feels °C | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 13 | W 16 | W 16 | W 15 | W 14 | W 14 | W 14 | W 16 | — | W 14 | W 14 | N 6 | — | NNW 7 | N 7 | W 16 | NNW 7 | — | NW 6 |
| kJ | 451 | 1014 | 822 | 730 | 411 | 324 | 236 | 314 | — | 4 | 95 | 9 | — | 73 | 27 | 496 | 9 | — | 9 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 18 | E 6 | ENE 5 | E 4 | W 5 | — | NW 14 | NW 16 | — | N 6 | W 14 | — | — | — | — | NNW 7 | — | — | NW 15 |
| kJ | 99 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 11 | — | 8 | 10 | — | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 18 | — | — | 57 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 12 | W 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 5 | — | — | — | — | NNW 9 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 4 | W 4 | W 3 | W 15 | W 14 | W 4 | NW 5 | WNW 8 | W 9 | W 10 | W 10 | W 16 | W 15 | W 15 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | 10 | 5 | 726 | 682 | 14 | 129 | 645 | 1342 | 1424 | 761 | 3230 | 2903 | 2027 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 119 | 0 | 0 | 111 | 111 | 111 | 152 | 111 | 111 | 152 | 93 | 97 | 97 | 211 | 97 | 196 | 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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