Surf Forecasts:
Wharariki Beach surf forecast from 31 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 4 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 12s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 31 Aug, 9PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 13s period, W swell with 5,623 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 4 Sep, 9PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 12s 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 Friday (Sep 04) at 9PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 3.5m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 15s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 12s is also forecast. 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 4.0m 13s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 31) at 9PM. 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+) | 9PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 12s |
| Best Surf | 9PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 9PM (Mon 31st Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Wharariki Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s happening at Wharariki Beach.
Right off the bat, the first week of the forecast is a write-off. We’re looking at a big, angry ocean with a gale-force cross-off wind screaming through, and waves up to 14.8ft coming from the West. The combined energy is massive (3569 to 4082), but it’s just raw, un-rideable power. That pattern keeps up through the first few days of September – still big, messy, and blown out. The swell is too big for anyone but the experts, and even then, the wind is just brutal. The water temperature is sitting at 57.0°F, which is pretty normal for this time of year.
The real standout is fogging up the crystal ball, but it’s a beauty. On Tuesday, September 8th in the morning, we get a clean, offshore wind from the SSE (only 3.1 mph) and a solid 6.2ft West swell running on a 16-second period. That’s a proper groundswell. The combined energy is still strong (1816), and while the wind is offshore, this long period swell will be better suited to a point or reef, but it’s still the best call in the window. The report says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers,” and I’m not arguing. The 4/10 score and the fact the wind is light and offshore make this the one to wait for.
After that, things settle down. The swell drops, but the quality fades again as the cross-shore winds pick up. There’s a small window on Wednesday, September 9th in the morning, with a glassy 3.0ft wave from the West, but it’s a weak 13-second period and the energy is low (464). It’s surfable, but nothing special.
So, the pick of the 16 days is the morning of September 8th at Wharariki Beach. It’s not perfect, but it’s the only time the stars line up. The rest of the run is a lot of waiting for wind to behave.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 16°C on Wed night, min 10°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (gales from the WSW on Mon afternoon, fresh winds from the WNW by Wed night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 20mm), heaviest during Thu night. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu morning, min 12°C on Fri morning). Winds decreasing (near gales from the NW on Thu night, moderate winds from the WNW by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | |||||||||||||||
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) | W 10 | W 10 | W 13 | W 14 | W 14 | W 14 | W 17 | W 14 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | NW 7 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | W 12 | W 14 | W 14 | WNW 15 | W 16 | NW 9 | W 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 3512 | 4082 | 5040 | 3463 | 3072 | 2186 | 3164 | 1822 | 615 | 637 | 502 | 574 | 3170 | 4142 | 3230 | 3109 | 2618 | 2687 | 1511 | 1279 | 3453 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:49AM3.25m | 00:04AM3.32m | 12:26PM3.21m | 00:43AM3.23m | 1:07PM3.11m | 1:26AM3.07m | 1:53PM2.97m | 2:16AM2.88m | 2:49PM2.81m | 3:19AM2.69m | 4:00PM2.68m | 4:39AM2.57m | 5:25PM2.66m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:57PM0.14m | 6:19AM0.09m | 6:36PM0.21m | 6:59AM0.20m | 7:19PM0.35m | 7:43AM0.36m | 8:08PM0.52m | 8:36AM0.55m | 9:09PM0.70m | 9:42AM0.72m | 10:25PM0.81m | 11:02AM0.80m | 11:50PM0.79m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | |  | | |  |  | | | | | | | | |  | | | |
 | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — |
 | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:09 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 13 | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 11 |
Feels °C | -1 | -3 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 3 | -2 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 15 | — | NW 14 | NW 14 | NW 14 | WNW 15 | WNW 14 | — | — | — | W 14 | W 14 | NNE 8 | NNW 10 | NNW 9 | NNW 8 | N 7 | WNW 15 | W 16 | NW 9 | N 7 |
| kJ | 57 | — | 284 | 158 | 164 | 21 | 20 | — | — | — | 199 | 407 | 238 | 231 | 137 | 62 | 4 | 2687 | 1511 | 1279 | 34 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | W 20 | NW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 8 | NW 12 | WNW 14 | — | — | — | W 16 | WNW 16 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 83 | 124 | 136 | — | — | — | 1149 | 48 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 10 | W 13 | W 14 | W 14 | W 14 | W 17 | W 14 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | NW 7 | WNW 10 | WNW 11 | W 12 | W 14 | W 14 | WNW 15 | NW 7 | N 8 | W 16 |
| kJ | 3512 | 4082 | 5040 | 3463 | 3072 | 2186 | 3164 | 1822 | 615 | 637 | 502 | 574 | 3170 | 4142 | 3230 | 3109 | 2618 | 2182 | 509 | 612 | 3453 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 196 | 270 | 211 | 152 | 152 | 152 | 111 | 152 | 97 | 95 | 97 | 192 | 215 | 269 | 152 | 97 | 215 | 97 | 215 | 86 | 509 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Nelson - West Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.
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