Surf Forecasts:
Wharariki Beach surf forecast from 22 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 24 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 15s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 24 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 15s period, W swell with 5,229 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 15s 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 Monday (Aug 24) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s. 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 15s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (NZST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Mon 24th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wharariki Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here again. Let’s break this one down in feet and miles per hour.
We’ve got a bit of a slow start. Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd of August are a total loss—gale-force winds and chaotic surf. Water temp is about 57°F, normal for the season, so no complaints there.
The real highlight hits on Monday the 24th of August. Wharariki Beach gets a solid 10-foot groundswell from the west, with a long 15-second period. That’s a lot of power (combined energy of 4498). The wind is a clean cross-offshore breeze, so the waves will be glassy. But at 10 feet, this is expert-only. If you’re not a seasoned charger, stay on the beach. The swell direction matches the break’s ideal, so expect long, well-shaped lines. And with “never” for crowds, you might have a world-class session to yourself.
Monday morning and afternoon are both clean. After that, Tuesday the 25th gets a bit choppy with cross-shore winds on a 6-7 foot swell. Not worth the hassle.
From Wednesday the 26th through the end of the month, it’s mostly onshore and messy. There’s a brief moment on Saturday the 30th with a 7-foot west swell and 16-second period, but the wind is too strong (over 50 mph) to enjoy it.
Early September brings some marginal windows. Tuesday the 1st has an 8-foot west swell with a very long 17-second period, but the wind is cross-shore and lumpy. Wednesday the 2nd afternoon is cleaner—8-foot west swell, 16-second period, cross-offshore wind. That’s a maybe.
Then we get hammered by severe gales on Thursday and Friday the 3rd and 4th—not for surfing.
The second week’s big moment is Saturday the 5th of September. This one’s 8 days out, so it’s a bit of a long-range promise. Wharariki Beach is forecast to see a massive 13-foot west swell with a 12-second period. The wind is light cross-offshore from the SE, making for perfect conditions. Combined energy is huge at 5096. This is pure expert territory—13-foot waves. If you’ve got the skills, circle this date.
Sunday the 6th ends things with onshore winds and big, bumpy surf.
To sum it up: One epic expert day on Monday the 24th of August, and a potential monster on Saturday the 5th of September. The rest is mostly wind-affected or too big for the average surfer. Keep tabs on that Saturday.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat afternoon, min 11°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (gales from the NW on Sat night, fresh winds from the W by Tue morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Tue night. Very mild (max 15°C on Wed night, min 13°C on Tue afternoon). Mainly fresh winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | ||||||||||||||
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) | NW 6 | NW 7 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 13 | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | W 14 | W 14 | W 14 | W 14 | W 13 | W 13 | WNW 12 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | NW 9 | NW 9 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 148 | 632 | 2546 | 2667 | 4964 | 4223 | 3629 | 2725 | 1976 | 1653 | 1249 | 1285 | 617 | 411 | 202 | 749 | 525 | 669 | 486 | 367 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 5:58AM2.31m | 6:40PM2.42m | 7:09AM2.40m | 7:41PM2.57m | 8:05AM2.55m | 8:29PM2.75m | 8:49AM2.73m | 9:09PM2.94m | 9:28AM2.90m | 9:45PM3.11m | 10:04AM3.05m | 10:20PM3.24m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:45PM1.12m | 12:16PM1.05m | 00:58AM1.04m | 1:22PM0.93m | 1:56AM0.88m | 2:13PM0.76m | 2:42AM0.68m | 2:56PM0.57m | 3:22AM0.48m | 3:34PM0.40m | 3:58AM0.30m | 4:10PM0.25m | ||||||||
 |  | |  |  | |  |  | | | |  | | |  | |  | | |  | |
 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — |
 | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — |
mm | 2 | 8 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 14 |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
Feels °C | 6 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 20 | — | N 8 | N 8 | NNW 8 | NW 15 | NNW 7 | WNW 15 | WNW 15 | — | — | NW 6 | W 14 | W 13 | W 13 | W 16 | W 15 | W 15 | W 13 | NW 9 |
| kJ | 31 | — | 266 | 138 | 84 | 266 | 10 | 88 | 45 | — | — | 8 | 617 | 411 | 202 | 47 | 115 | 67 | 127 | 367 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | NW 13 | N 7 | NW 9 | — | — | — | — | WNW 14 | — | W 19 | W 18 | — | W 12 | W 24 | W 25 | W 13 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 128 | 9 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 20 | — | 7 | 54 | — | 11 | 11 | 12 | 119 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | NW 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 23 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 107 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 6 | NW 7 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 13 | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | W 15 | W 14 | W 14 | W 14 | WNW 4 | NW 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 12 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | NW 9 | NNE 6 |
| kJ | 148 | 632 | 2546 | 2667 | 4964 | 4223 | 3629 | 2725 | 1976 | 1653 | 1249 | 1285 | 25 | 20 | 64 | 749 | 525 | 669 | 486 | 51 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 97 | 192 | 97 | 211 | 211 | 97 | 152 | 196 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 111 | 152 | 95 | 95 | 215 | 152 | 192 | 152 | 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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